The Villanovan | Volume 118, Issue 9: April 9, 2025
Willard’s Impact on NIL Program
Carter Smith Staff Writer
The June 2021 decision of the Supreme Court in the case of National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Alston has changed the landscape of college athletics. The Court ruled unanimously that the NCAA’s restriction on college athletes being able to receive financial compensation for the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL), which rested on the alleged “amateur” nature of their level of play, was in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890.
Since the ruling, states and athletic conferences have introduced their own legislation and policies regarding how athletes can be compensated for their NIL. The athletic departments of many big-name programs have set up their own NIL funds with which to pay players through alumni or corporate donations, such as our own Friends of ‘Nova.
The highest profile college athletes have struck their own individual brand deals and made a lot of money, such as Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, whose deal with Nike has contributed to an estimated $4.7 million in NIL earnings, according to ESPN.
The ability to directly pay players and help them find lucrative brand deals has also been a boon for large athletic programs, who now have the ability to reload their rosters with high-value, talented transfers in their quests to win titles. For example, Ohio State University’s athletic director reported that the school’s NIL budget for its football team that just won a national championship was upwards of $20 million.
On the flip-side, a lack of top-end NIL money has proven frustrating for
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NOVAdance Announces New Co-Executive Directors
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What Villanova’s Tuition Hike Means For Students p. 11
Campus Concern Grows Over Student Linked to Assault Case
On the evening of Tuesday, April 8, The Villanovan learned that Juan Eguiguren, who was identified in a recent Philadelphia Magazine article as an alleged accomplice in a sexual assault that took place on campus in 2022, will not be in attendance at the Villanova University Commencement Ceremony for the Class of 2025 on May 16. The victim’s attorney, Jay Edelstein, shared with The Villanovan a statement from Eguiguren’s attorney, Doug Maute:
“I represent Juan Eguiguren and issue the following statement on his behalf: Mr. Eguiguren does not wish for his presence to detract attention from the deserved recognition and celebration of the Class of 2025 at Villanova University’s Commencement Ceremony. Therefore, he will not be in attendance.”
Over the past two days, the Villanova community has expressed frustration over this dispute, which involves a sexual assault survivor’s request not to attend commencement alongside her assailant’s accomplice. The civil lawsuit that she filed last fall against Villanova, Col -
lege Hall Apartments, and three male students, is separate from a now-resolved criminal case that found one student guilty and confirmed all three students’ involvement. While two are no longer on campus, one remains, which prompted growing concern from both the survivor and the broader campus community. From the Philadelphia Magazine article disclosing the request, to social media posts, petitions and protests, the outrage sparked on campus led to the message sent by Maute. The outraged response from the Villanova community on this matter first started with an online
petition that began as a case to dismiss the accomplice from campus. It later called on individuals to: “Demand that Villanova University Bars Juan Eguiguren From Walking at Graduation.” Prior to this week, the petition had reached around 800 signatures. However, after the release of the article by Philadelphia Magazine on Monday, April 7 the signatures increased to more than 22,000 by late Tuesday night.
Earlier on Tuesday, April 8, Villanova’s Title IX Coordinator, Ryan Rost and Vice President for Student Life, Kathleen J. Byrnes, J.D., released
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SGA Election Results: Zeppos-Mbah Victory
Nicole Liddicoat Co-Editor-In-Chief
The student body has spoken: Aleko Zeppos and Sidney Mbah are officially Villanova’s next Student Government Association (SGA) President and Vice President. This year, the race for SGA President featured two campaigns, one led by Zeppos and Mbah, and the other by Andrew Smith and Charlie Perricelli. Both tickets offered unique visions for Villanova’s
Blue Key Cuts Back On Pronoun Usage p. 4
Poke Makes A Splash At Cafe Nova p. 17
future, but it was Zeppos and Mbah’s student-centered approach that ultimately resonated most with voters.
The results were an-
nounced Tuesday, April 8 at 3
p.m. after energized campaign efforts and a lot of student engagement. Featuring a platform focused on improving
Students Attend International Economics Forum p. 9
campus dining, expanding access to menstrual products and strengthening the relationship between student organizations and SGA, Zeppos and Mbah ran on a message of collaboration and action.
Zeppos, a junior marketing and international business major, currently serves as the 2024-25 SGA Vice President. His running mate, Mbah, is a sophomore biochemistry major who has worked on SGA’s Campus Climate Committee. Together, they are
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Are Student Workers Paid Enough?
Senior Sentiments: The Checklist p. 18
Emma Cahill Former EIC
The Villanova community has expressed frustration over the dispute which involves a sexual assault survivor’s request. Dylan Johnson/Villanovan Photography
Willard Timeline p. 5
Wildcat Watch: Mawutor Fiavey, “Will D. Cat” Mascot p. 23
p. 10
Women’s Lacrosse Bounces Back Against Marquette p. 26
Zeppos (right) and Mbah (left) will lead the student body during the upcoming year. Quinn Burn/Villanovan Photography
PUBLIC SAFETY BLOTTER
LIQUOR UNDERAGE
April 2, FRIAR HALL
A female resident student, under 21, was found in possession of alcohol.
THEFT
April 2, STANFORD HALL
A student reported the theft of earbuds at Standford Hall, with an estimated loss of $230.
LIQUOR UNDERAGE
April 2, MCGUIRE HALL
A female resident student, under 21, appeared in public and was evaluated for alcohol intoxication.
PUBLIC DRUNKENNESS
April 2, MCGUIRE HALL
A female resident student, under
CORRECTIONS
21, appeared in public and was evaluated for alcohol intoxication.
LIQUOR UNDERAGE
April 3, ST. MONICA HALL
A female resident student, under 21, was evaluated by VEMS for alcohol intoxication and transported to Bryn Mawr Hospital.
LIQUOR UNDERAGE
April 3, STANFORD HALL
A male resident student, under 21, appeared in public intoxicated. The student was evaluated by VEMS and released.
CRIMINAL TRESPASS AND HARASSMENT
April 4, FRIAR HALL
A male resident student reported being assaulted by another male
student who forcibly entered the victim’s residence without consent.
LIQUOR UNDERAGE
April 5, SOUTH CAMPUS GROUNDS
A female resident student, under 21, was evaluated by VEMS for alcohol intoxication and transported to Bryn Mawr Hospital.
NOVAdance Announces New Co-Executive Directors
Emma Cote Co-News Editor
Following the 12th-annual NOVAdance marathon on March 29, it has been announced that the new co-Executive Directors for the 2025-26 school year will be current juniors and rising seniors, Grant LeMay and Annie O’Brien.
The pair has been on committee since their sophomore year, and have experienced the ins and outs of planning and running year-long fundraising efforts, as well as the Day-of itself. Though the marathon was only a few weeks ago, the organization is already gearing up for a year of fundraising.
For NOVAdance 2025, LeMay was Villanova’s top individual fundraiser, raising $13,769.
Before this year, LeMay previously served as a color captain of the Morale Committee. These responsibilities included getting the student body more
involved, leading a color team to success for Day-of, as well as engaging in an impressive push-up competition to raise money for the kids.
From here, LeMay went on to serve on the executive board this past year as the head of Human Resources. This position put him in charge of several subcommittees, including the leaders of sidekicks, engagement coordinators, MOCO and others.
As a member of the executive board, LeMay worked in a team to take a greater leadership role in executing the Day-of and yearlong efforts.
O’Brien was a member of the logistics team, and this past year served as the chair of the operations team. The operations team, or “ops,” is the driving force behind several events, organization of materials year-long and the Day-of set up.
This year, members of the team could be seen around Jake Nevin coordinating decorations
and set up, running check-in and making sure the events flowed smoothly. This work required long hours of dedication and incredible commitment to the cause.
“After being here for three years, and getting to see the incredible growth that NOVAdance has had, there is such a bright future for the organization,” O’Brien said.
This past year, NOVAdance 2025 “So No Hero Rides Alone” saw immense increases in participation and incredible success. This has followed a trend of growth since the organization was first brought to Villanova’s campus back in 2013.
The 2025 Co-Executive Directors, Lanie Aires and Jack Doolin, established the “road to 7,” a slogan to showcase the pair’s goal of breaking $700,000. Through the hard work and leadership of the committee, this goal was accomplished.
The pair is embarking on their leadership following an
immensely successful NOVAdance Day-of. This year, the organization met its goal of breaking the $700,000 goal. Last year, the total revealed at Day-of was just over $600,000, showing a $100,000 raise in just one year.
“NOVAdance has provided such a sense of community to so many, and we cannot wait to grow this community in 2026,” LeMay said.
Coming off of such success, LeMay and O’Brien are excited to get to work in preparation of NOVAdance 2026.
This past weekend, the pair spent time at the University of Delaware’s UDance Day- Of, a fellow organization of the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation.
As co-Executive Directors, both LeMay and O’Brien will be taking on a big leadership role to ensure that NOVAdance 2026 is equally as successful. Within the coming weeks, NOVAdance executive positions will also be decided along with the committee.
O’Brien (center) led the Operations Team throughout the 2024-25 year. Courtesy of NOVAdance Media Team
LeMay (far right) served as Director of Human Resources for NOVAdance 2025. Courtesy of NOVAdance Media Team
Concern Grows Over Student Linked to Assault Case
Emma Cahill Former EIC
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a statement on behalf of Father Peter M. Donahue, OSA, Ph.D. that stated the following:
“On behalf of Father Peter, we are writing today in connection with the recent Philadelphia Magazine article and the understandable concerns that the situation raises for our community. We hear the concerns surrounding the harm done to the survivor and the wider community. We are actively working to address the situation at hand relating to Commencement and are seeking an outcome that will offer care and respect for the survivor and ensure that the survivor can participate fully in Commencement.”
In reaction to the alleged accomplice’s presence on campus, many students found themselves disturbed by the University’s lack of action.
“Villanova’s passive stance in this matter only shows women and gender minority students that this institution is not a safe space for them, and that they put their safety at risk by reporting,” said senior Antonia Aguilerad.
“I want to emphasize that students can’t take pride in their community if there are no consequences
for enabling abuse,” said sophomore Anastasia Orel. “Sexual assault has to be taken seriously from institutions if we want to prevent it from happening.”
However, there continues to be pressure being placed on the University to make decisions that honor victims. A newly formed organization called “Occupy Villanova” had planned a protest on April 12, the day when the University’s Admitted Students Day (ASD) is scheduled to take place. The spirit of the protest echoes the sentiments of the petition, which aimed at barring Eguiguren from walking at graduation.
Now, even though the alleged accomplice’s counsel has confirmed he will not be in attendance at Commencement, there still remains pressure on the University to act. Occupy Villanova’s protest will still take place this weekend, and organizers hope to further challenge the alleged accomplice’s presence on campus. The Villanovan had the chance to discuss this matter with senior Hope Frantz and sophomore Marisa Canepa, organizing members of Occupy Villanova.
Franz, a founding member of Villanova’s Sexual Assault Prevention & Awareness Organization (SAPA), wanted to take action to demonstrate her frustration at the lack of action from the University. After much discussion with other SAPA members, they began to plan “Occupy Villanova” as a way to attract more attention
to this issue. Intentionally planning the protest on the same day as ASD, Frantz, Canepa and other organizing members of the protest want to send a message to the University that they will not back down.
“If I was a [prospective student] thinking of going here, or a mother thinking of my daughter going here, and I saw that the University still housed a rapist, I wouldn’t give 90k to be here,” Canepa said. “I think the potential of a financial burden on Villanova is what will get to them most, because that’s what they care about the most.”
Additionally, Canepa shared the sentiment behind the ongoing nature of the protest.
“As of right now, we are still planning on [holding the rally],” Canepa said. “Students should still be aware that he was here, and he is here, and that it took outrage for them to make this decision instead of just the trial or the action itself.”
Frantz hopes that commu-
nity members will continue to ignite change on campus. She offers words of wisdom to prospective Villanova students who will be present on ASD.
“As a senior, I want to [leave a] message for prospective students that you have a voice here at Villanova and [you shouldn’t stop] until you see the change that you want to be a part of.”
This is a developing story. More updates will come promptly as soon as they are shared with The Villanovan
To report a sexual assault or an act of sexual misconduct, call Public Safety at 610-519-5800; the Title IX Coordinator Ms. Ryan Rost at 610-519-8805; or a Deputy Title IX Coordinator. For more information on support resources, call the Sexual Assault Resource Coordinator (SARC) at 484-343-6028. For more information on Villanova’s sexual misconduct prevention and education efforts, visit: https://www1. villanova.edu/university/sexual-misconduct/ education.html For the National Sexual Assault Hotline, call 1-800-656-4673.
SGA Election Results: Zeppos-Mbah Victory
Nicole Liddicoat Co-Editor-in-Chief
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bringing both experience and fresh ideas to the table.
The Villanovan had the opportunity to sit down with the newly elected leaders following their victory.
Their campaign struck a chord with students not only through its messaging, but also through the visible commitment Zeppos and Mbah demonstrated throughout the process to make students feel connected to student government.
“We were there to talk to people, get to know our classmates that we didn’t know,” Zeppos said. “And that’s why I think, at the end of the day we won.”
Mbah shared similar sentiments, focusing on how their genuine approach involved more than just policies, but the energy behind them.
“I think people saw that regardless of whether it was dining or whether it was promoting the Liaison Group, it could have been anything, but it was the work ethic we had to complete those goals, as well as the passion we had to [fulfill] them,” Mbah said.
He emphasized a desire for continuous growth, not just as a leader, but for the campus as a whole.
“I don’t like being complacent,” Zeppos said. “I like growing. I like growing as an individual, as an organization, as
a community. That’s the message I’ve been trying to convey, that I’m willing to do what it takes to get us there to that end goal.”
Ahead of their first month in office, the pair already has a list of action items it is eager to launch. One top priority is implementing a student liaison program, an initiative designed by the current SGA Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Kenza Idrissi.
“[The program is a] oneto-one contact for the student leaders of each group to have a point of contact in SGA, for guidance, for representation, for advice, for mentorship, for funding,” Zeppos said.
This initiative, designed to support more than 300 student organizations, aims to ensure every student feels represented by SGA through consistent, structured dialogue.
As they take office, Zeppos and Mbah are aware that they will be stepping into a campus environment that is both exciting and uncertain, with many students eager for change. They have both emphasized that their vision goes beyond just this year.
They hope their leadership fosters a student body that “grows and becomes kinder, more collaborative, more friendly.” For Zeppos, a key part of that vision is ensuring student government continues to grow into a more visible, impactful force on campus.
“I think we’ve done great strides this past year, and I’m so overjoyed and appreciative that the student body put their faith
and trust in us to continue leading that change and growing this organization,” he said. “Because when I came to SGA, if you asked a student what SGA did, who they were, they wouldn’t really know. And that’s why I got involved. I wanted to make a name for ourselves and make sure students not only knew what we did, but were proud of how and how we did it, and what we did.”
It is that drive for impact that Zeppos and Mbah hope to carry forward in the coming year.
“Students love to see change, and we want to make sure they enjoy being part of that change as well,” Zeppos said. Whether that change is additional dining updates, mural renovations or a greater voice for student organizations on campus, the pair are determined to ensure that progress is something every Villanovan can both see and feel. Their leadership marks the beginning of a new chapter for Villanova’s Student Government Association.
Zeppos and Mbah look to enact changes that lead to positive growth on campus. Courtesy of @sgavillanova
“Occupy Villanova” has planned a protest on April 12 during Admitted Students Day. Ryan Sarbello/Villanovan Photography
SGA Hosts Continenous Presidential Debate
Emma Cote Co-News Editor
On Thursday, April 3, the Student Government Association (SGA) hosted its first debate in two years.
Then-Vice President and now SGA President Aleko Zeppos and Chair of Campus Climate Committee, now SGA Vice President Sidney Mbah won the election held four days later. Meanwhile, the other ticket consisted of SGA newcomers Andrew Smith and his running mate, Charlie Perricelli.
The structure allowed for the vice presidential candidates to take the floor first to present opening statements and engage in a Q&A from both the moderators and the audience.
During the Q&A, Mbah –who before his election to Vice Preisdent, was also a prominent leader in the Black Student Union – championed Student Government’s tabling efforts and hosting town halls, including his own past work on a housing town hall. Beyond these claims, Mbah honed in on previous work being done in collaboration with dining, and his goals in this field for the future –goals he’ll strive to achieve now that Mbah has been elected.
Perricelli dissented. Much of the commentary from Smith and Perricelli’s own campaign In-
stagram has opposed the current SGA’s handling of communication and representation. Perricelli argued there is far more that could be done to meet students where they are beyond tabling and distribution of treats, and brought up ideas such as establishing a guardhouse on South Campus.
“Buying cookies isn’t going to cut it anymore,” Perricelli said.
Perricelli himself shared that last fall, he had reached out to SGA members, only to be left with no follow up on getting involved. Amongst this personal anecdote, Perrcelli stated his dissatisfaction with the current administration’s handling of office hours and lack of updates and transparency.
“There have been no meeting notes [online] since 2022,” Smith said.
Prior to Smith and Perricelli raising concern, the SGA website lacked its mission statement, as well as meeting notes. All of these things have been updated, as then candidate-turned-President Zeppos thanked the team for sharing their thoughts, and pointed to the improvements as an example of efficient change happening because of student concerns.
“I became aware of the website because of a student sitting right next to me,” Zeppos said. “Now that we did, Andy, thank you so much.”
Both Smith and Perricelli argued that it shouldn’t have had to be a student concern, and demanded for a
higher level of transparency.
While Perricelli and Smith argued about a lack of communication of the current administration when it comes to the handling of their website, former Student Body President Dean Millard and Zeppos have spoken to The Villanovan several times this academic year regarding their own agendas and to make statements on various events. Past coverage from The Villanovan on sustainability efforts in dining were cited during the debate.
Following the vice presidential candidates, the presidential candidates conducted their debate in a similar structure that also featured a 15-minute conversation-style exchange on their respective campaigns.
Zeppos leaned on his experience and beyond echoing Mbah in regard to representation-centered goals, Zeppos also campaigned on ideas for improving dining, continuing sustainability measures and working with other student organizations and utilizing the budget to do so – ideas he hopes to put into action post-election.
“We have used our entire budget for the first time in years.” Zeppos said.
Smith, a relative outsider to SGA, argued that the organization could be improved to a greater extent.
“We want to take SGA to the next level,” Smith said. “We want to bring the student body into that.”
Smith highlighted ideas on decreasing University store prices,
increasing transparency and voiced skepticism on the Millard-Zeppos administration’s sustainability efforts.
Both parties aligned on their commitment to protecting diversity, equity and inclusion at the University. There were numerous questions regarding both DEI and protecting free speech.
One point of concern was raised towards then-candidate Smith on his presidency with student group VU Republicans, as the SGA is nonpartisan. Smith stated that if elected, he would have no issue in resigning from involvement with the group.
Concerns raised to Zeppos were mostly centered around why his policy goals were not made already during his time as vice president. Zeppos championed achievements such as the expansion of free menstrual products, but affirmed there was even more that could be done and more that would be done as president.
While structured, the audience fielded questions consisted of relatively frequent moderator intervention.
Both parties agreed on a variety of topics including the possibility of implementing a Chick-Fil-A, DEI initiatives and gym improvements. The disagreements were seen specifically in regards to sustainability efforts and transparency.
Now with Zeppos and Mbah elected, both will strive to build on the topics they tackled in the debate.
Blue Key Cuts Back on Pronoun Usage
Brooke Ackerman Co-Editor-in-Chief
Nicole Liddicoat Co-Editor-in-Chief
On Monday, March 31, it was announced to Blue Key members via GroupMe that the organization will begin to “scale back” on announcing pronouns to prospective students and their families.
For years, Blue Key Society tour guides have kicked off their tours with a short introduction in the Connelly Center Cinema, sharing their name, graduation year, major – and pronouns. But recently, that script has changed.
The update was first communicated in a GroupMe message to Blue Key members by tour time captains who clarified the shift in tour guide introductions.
“IMPORTANT: In light of federal policy changes, pronoun use is still acceptable, but we are going to scale back on announcing them inside the Cinema,” the message read. “Use your best judgment, and if comfortable, you can share your pronouns with your tour group when you are alone with them.”
While the message stopped short of banning pronouns, it marked a notable shift in tone and practice for the organization, one that it made without outside pressures. The decision comes amid growing federal tensions around gender identity in education, prompting Blue Key leadership to assess how public-facing elements of campus tours are conducted.
According to Blue Key’s Inclusion Coordinator, sophomore
Corey McCall, the update was shared with the option for members to reach out with any questions or concerns, though no feedback has been received so far. For the time being, Blue Key members are working with the University, including the Office of Belonging and Inclusion, to continuously navigate the changes as they come.
“Everyone at this University is navigating these changes and trying to still maintain Villanova as a community for everybody, one that wants to make sure that everybody feels comfortable, while still making sure that our tour guides feel comfortable,” sophomore and Blue Key Development Coordinator Hannah Logue said. “Adhering to that [is] going to continue to be a very ongoing process, and we’re at the very early stages of that.”
Concerns from prospective parents during campus tours surrounding pronoun usage did play a role in prompting this change. Some parents expressed confusion or discomfort with the practice, leading Blue Key leadership to reconsider how personal information is shared in the more formal, public-facing portion of the tours in order to protect the guides.
“Generally, it’s pretty common [for] universities who decide to implement pronoun usage and parents who might not [agree] with it, so there’s definitely been feedback regarding it,” junior and Blue Key President Miki Domeneghetti said. “It definitely wasn’t a decision that was made totally in the dark. But at the end of the day, it’s more about, like I said, kind of protecting our guides.”
Blue Key has always made conscious efforts in the past to educate members on inclusivity. It has always
been a requirement for members to attend two “Inclusion Events” per semester in order to stay in good standing. Following the recent change, there are four mandatory workshops being held this week by McCall, of which members must attend at least one.
“I’m making an interactive portion, so just getting a gauge on how guides are comfortable with giving a tour regarding federal policy changes,” McCall said. “So being able to understand how they feel is important, and then how we can accommodate that, and then going through the federal policy changes that was provided by OBI is just for that.”
With Admitted Students Day (ASD) fast approaching on April 12, McCall also plans to review different scenario-based questions that may come up on ASD to help prepare members.
However, these preparations take place alongside ongoing conversations about inclusivity and how the
University is navigating this complex issue, particularly in its interactions with prospective students.
“We don’t see [this decision] in any way as a setback in terms of inclusivity,” Domeneghetti said. “Obviously, there’s issues going on [at] the federal level that may affect this, and it’s tough. It’s a balance here, and the way we are going about it is making sure that guides can still say what they want to say and still introduce all of the diverse aspects of our campus and being able to self-identify, but perhaps using broader tones or being a little more speculative when they’re doing so.”
As Blue Key adapts to federal policy changes, it remains committed to ensuring that both tour guides and prospective students feel comfortable and supported.
The adjustments made to pronoun usage are intended to reflect the ongoing balance between inclusivity and compliance with evolving regulations.
Blue Key has announced they will be scaling back on announcing pronouns to prospective students. Courtesy of Villanova Blue Key
University Announces Merge With Rosemont College
Finn Courtney Co-News Editor
In a joint statement released by Villanova University and Rosemont College on March 31, the schools announced a merger, through which Rosemont will merge into Villanova in 2027. Once the transition is complete, the campus will continue to use the Rosemont name under the Villanova banner, known as “Villanova University, Rosemont Campus.”
Similar to the plans for the Cabrini campus, which was acquired in mid 2023, Villanova intends to keep the Rosemont name to “honor the legacy of Rosemont’s founders, the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.” The merger, still requiring approval from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and state and federal regulators, according to the initial announcement, will have more details coming in the following months and years.
“Villanova University and Rosemont College enjoy a longstanding connection,” University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A, Ph.D. said in a press release. “This merger agreement represents a unique and powerful opportunity for our two institutions given our shared commitment to advancing Catholic higher education, our close physical proximity and deep alumni connections.”
Rosemont has struggled financially for years, with steadily declining enrollment (currently 774 students). While both Villanova and Rosemont have previously discussed a merger, it took Rosemont’s mounting debt, as reported in a Philadelphia Inquirer article and willingness to merge with another school for this to happen.
Additionally, Rosemont’s Di-
vision III athletics program will transition to club sports after Spring of 2026, as Rosemont will be unable to field teams adequately after October 2025, the last time they’ll be accepting new students.
The merger will, like that with Cabrini University, be a multiyear process and will allow all current Rosemont students to complete their education as Ravens, rather than forcing them to transfer or leave their degree unfinished. Rosemont students who have not earned their degrees by 2028, seemingly the time the merger will be complete, will have multiple options, including the ability to transfer to Villanova’s College of Professional Studies to complete a degree.
“We are committed to securing the best possible options for our students, faculty and staff and believe this merger with Villanova offers the best opportunity to ensure that the Rosemont College history and legacy endures,” Rosemont College President Jim Cawley said in the release.
This merger will also likely lead to larger admissions classes at Villanova, similar to what was stated when the Cabrini campus reopened under the Villanova name. This announcement of the Rosemont merger follows a different recent announcement of a tuition hike for Villanova students. With tuition on the rise, it’s unknown how that will affect admissions classes at present, especially given the unknown increases likely to come with Cabrini and Rosemont over the next five years.
However, tuition hikes are nothing new, as undergraduate tuition has increased from $45,966 in 2014 to $69,846 in 2024, on par with an increase in application rates after Villanova won two men’s basketball championships in 2016 and 2018.
“Like most colleges and universities across the country, Villanova is heavily dependent on tuition revenue to support operational expenses and is impacted by general inflation and labor market conditions,” Father Peter wrote in an email to the Villanova community in March. “Annual increases, which consider all these factors, enable the University to continue providing an exceptional academic experience, comprehensive student support services and additional need-based financial assistance while ensuring continued prudent financial stewardship.”
At the same time, this merger also supports the goals of the Campus Master Plan, the details of which were announced last summer.
The Master Plan includes a variety of refurbishments and upgrades to main campus buildings, including a renovation of Tolentine Hall and the opening of Vic Maggitti Hall.
Meanwhile, Villanova’s plans for the Cabrini campus were not announced until this year, including residence halls and some majors moving partially or fully to Cabrini buildings, while some campus events such as NOVAdance or Special Olympics may also utilize the Cabrini space.
“The demand for a Villanova education has never been greater,” Father Peter said. “With this agreement, we seek to enhance our University programs and complement the goals we developed together in our Strategic Plan, Rooted. Restless., all while honoring and preserving the legacy of Rosemont College. As always, our number one priority is providing students with a unique and transformative education—interwoven with values, knowledge and community—and unparalleled preparation for
lifelong success.”
Student Government Association President Dean Millard and Vice President Aleko Zeppos are aiming to continue working both with administration and students as the Villanova community continues to expand.
“As most students may have already heard, Villanova will be merging with our neighbors, Rosemont College, in 2027,” Millard and Zeppos said in a joint statement to The Villanovan. “As the Student Government Association, we will remain committed to ensuring a smooth transition while fostering unity, representation and opportunity for all students across our expanding community. We look forward to working closely with University leadership and our peers to ensure that every voice is heard throughout this historic change.”
While this will go past both Millard and potentially Zeppos’ tenures in SGA, they will surely lay the groundwork to come.
Since this announcement from Fr. Peter and Villanova’s administration comes during the preliminary stages of the agreement, much is still to be done before anything can be finalized. However, both committed to transparency and say they will keep the community updated as more details become available.
“I know this announcement raises many questions, many of which simply cannot be answered at this time,” Father Peter said. “There is still much to be done, but we are energized to work together with our Rosemont colleagues given the longstanding bonds between our communities and the opportunities the agreement will provide…As more details become available and finalized, I will continue to keep you informed about our progress.”
Students’ Reaction: Will Willard Come Through?
Jasmine Srivastava Staff Writer
A couple weeks ago, Villanova University announced that University of Maryland’s Kevin Willard is going to be the new head men’s basketball coach. After this breaking news, students had thoughts about this new leadership and how it will change Villanova basketball.
“Coach Willard is an excellent choice for the team,” sophomore Genna Cottingham said. “His thorough experience will be a shining light that this school longs for in our basketball program.”
For freshmen, like Dev Patel, Willard marks a new step for their time at Villanova, a team that hasn’t made an NCAA Tournament since 2022.
“I like the hire as bringing in a proven coach is the direction I wanted them to go and they did that with Willard,” Patel said.
Others, like AJ Olczak, are hoping for Willard to jump out to a hot start in the new season.
“I think this change will be good for him and Villanova and has an opportunity for great spirit as long as he starts strong,” Olczak said.
Some students who are from Maryland, where Willard formerly coached, also are excited about the upcoming transition.
“I’m from Maryland, so I
would love to see him represent my state and make us look good,” sophomore Cassie Hubbard said.
Sophomore Noelle Barczak agrees, with Willard hopefully bringing some of that Maryland energy to the Wildcats.
“As someone originally from Maryland, I’m so excited to see the new energy (and old bay) the new coach has to offer,” Barczak said.
Students believe that considering the turnaround time, he was the right decision and are excited about what he will add to the team.
“I believe he was the right choice in the time frame that was given,” Cottingham said.
Others think he can bring
an energy, a jolt to the sidelines that some think has been lacking in recent seasons.
“I think he can bring a good mentality and liveliness to the team,” Olczak said.
Students are also optimistic about his experience being a head coach for 21 seasons over his career and find that he will be a good fit for the University.
“I’m curious to see what he has to bring to the table, he definitely has experience, the winning determination and has shown some success,” sophomore Kovas Jeleniauskas said.
Students also feel that Coach Willard will bring forth a new spirit within Villanova basketball culture.
“I think the coach will bring back school spirit and be good for the Wildcats,” sophomore Liam Mote said.
Others are excited but lettting time play out here, after the up-and-down seasons under Kyle Neptune as coach.
“I think he is a good choice,” Olczak said. “Only time will tell, but I am excited for this next step in basketball and hopefully Finn games will be like they once were.”
“Changes will definitely take time to come into fruition, but a new presence will revive the school spirit of Nova Nation, on and off campus,” Cottingham said.
Willard is also giving students hope for the following years to come for the future of Villanova basketball.
“The new basketball coach is giving students hope for March Madness again,” sophomore Annie Kinsella said.
Overall, students feel excited about the new leadership coming into the Villanova basketball program. Students also hope that the new coach will help establish the excitement for men’s basketball that the Villanova student body once had for two decades under Jay Wright.
“The school spirit surrounding the basketball team was always there,” Cottingham said. “However, under new leadership our school will have a new sense of hope for the future of our program.”
Villanovans are hoping that Kevin Willard restores good times for Nova Nation. Erick Quezada/Villanovan Photography
Ava Petrosky Staff Writer
Around 4,000 admitted students and their families will visit Villanova’s campus for Admitted Students Day on Saturday, April 12.
The tour guides of Blue Key are excited to welcome the Class of 2029 to campus.
“We’re super excited to… show them why we love Villanova so much, and that’s a really special thing,” Senior Director of Admitted Students Day Tyler Moore said. “It also is a really good time to recognize the work that our tour guides have done throughout the year.”
Since October, Moore has worked closely with Steven Marinelli, Junior Director of Admitted Students Day.
Together, they oversee a committee of 18 students who have worked hard to create a special day for admitted students. All members of this committee, including the two directors, are Blue Key tour guides.
For Blue Key, the day will begin before sunrise.
Next, the tour guides will head straight for the beloved spirit line. They will cheer as the admitted students and their families walk past them and into the Finneran Pavillion.
Many tour guides have shared that the spirit line is their favorite part about Admitted Students Day.
“We line the walls of that entryway into the Finn,” Blue Key President Miki Domeneghetti said.
Admitted Students Day Preview
“It’s really early in the morning, but we’re making a lot of noise. We’re living it up.”
Many current Blue Key members attribute the spirit line to swaying their decisions in committing to Villanova.
After the admitted students are settled in the Finn, the opening presentations will begin.
Each year, University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., Ph.D., gives a speech. He and the members of Blue Key also put on a skit to excite the admitted students. Whenever Father Peter says, “Blue Key,” the tour guides respond with eager cheers.
“I think [admitted students]
should expect, you know, a lot of energy, and a lot of passion for Villanova,” Moore said.
After the presentations, the students and their families will have a variety of activities spread throughout campus to partake in.
There will be information sessions for each of Villanova’s four colleges. There will be a catered lunch from Wawa on Mendel Field, campus tours and residence hall tours on South Campus. There will also be a Resource Fair outside the upper level of the Connelly Center with representatives from about 20 to 30 resource offices in attendance.
Current members of the Villanova community will also welcome
the Class of 2029 at the Involvement Fair. The Quad will be lined with tables from more than 85 student clubs and organizations.
On the Café Nova Patio, there will be an event called “Going the Distance.” This will give those traveling from far distances the opportunity to connect and learn more about what becoming a Villanovan entails.
Additionally, the First Year Frenzy will feature the Student Orientation Program, as well as Parent and Family Relations. This will take place at the Riley Ellipse. Here, students ready to commit and #GoNova will learn what next steps to take.
The day will conclude with the annual Admitted Students Day Mass, which will take place at 4 p.m. in the St. Thomas of Villanova Church.
The Blue Key tour guides understand the importance of Admitted Students Day in deciding which college to attend. Marinelli said after his Admitted Students Day, he knew he was going to commit to Villanova.
“That was the final thing that I needed to tell me this place is for me, and that I want to be here,” Marinelli said. “The feeling of, like, being on campus that day, and interacting with students and families and other people on Villanova’s campus made me want to come here and, like, find my home here.”
The Blue Key tour guides will continue to prepare and ensure a positive experience for the incoming Class of 2029.
Villanovans React To Corey Booker’s Fillibuster
Isabella Balian Staff Writer
On the evening of March 31 into April 1, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker broke a 68-year-old record within the United States Senate with his 25 hour speech. Booker’s speech centered on his reactions to the Trump Administration’s recent policies and was met with support from dozens of other Senate Democrats.
His speech surpassed the longest previous record, set by Republican Senator Strom Thurmond, who spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes to protest the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
“I was very aware of Strom Thurmond’s records since I got to the Senate,” Booker told ABC. “I always felt that it was a strange shadow to hang over this institution.”
He made another statement to TIME Magazine.
“I’m not here though because of his speech,” Booker said. “I’m here despite his speech. I’m here because as powerful as he was, the people were more powerful.”
Many wonder if Booker’s actions qualify as a filibuster, but it was not a traditional filibuster. Filibusters are usually acted to delay the passage of a specific piece of legislation, but Booker’s speech was rather a display of passion.
Whereas Cruz and Thurmond were protesting pieces of legislation, Booker was not attempting to hold up any specific legislation.
Booker began his speech by addressing the President and Congress to let them know that he was
intentionally disrupting the normal business hours of the United State Senate for as long as he was physically able to. He told reporters and constituents that he stopped eating on Friday and stopped drinking water the night before he started on Monday.
His disruption was founded on his belief that our nation is in crisis. He told the Senate and Americans at home that, “our institutions are being recklessly and unconstitutionally attacked and even shattered.”
To open his speech, he addressed threats to Social Security, a trade war on our allies, corruption in the White House, the gutting of public education, the unemployment of thousands of veterans and federal employees, the slashed funding of pediatric cancer research, the abandonment of American international commitments, the censoring of the press, the silencing of American universities, the pardoning of Jan. 6 protesters, and more.
During his speech, Booker shared stories of countless Americans and constituents that emulated the vulnerable state of the country.
Booker also mentioned his inspiration from Rep. John Lewis, a longstanding civil rights advocate who passed away in 2020. Booker mentioned Lewis’ sentiment of “getting in good trouble.”
“And had to ask myself, if he’s my hero, how am I living up to his words?” Booker asked.
Booker also mentioned the role of his faith and how it inspired him during his speech, and how his fellow colleagues encouraged him. He told NBC News that he prayed with
fellow Senators Raphael Warnock of Georgia and Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware.
Booker’s speech not only represented constituents and citizens from New Jersey but also many other Americans. Villanova is home to a large population of students from New Jersey, and The Villanovan spoke to students with roots in New Jersey and those who paid attention to Booker’s speech.
Senior political science student and 2024 Truman Scholar, Lezlie Hilario reflected on Booker’s speech as a former intern of his.
“When I worked for Senator Booker, I had the privilege of sitting down with him and asking him pressing questions that he was willing to answer with no filter,” Hilario told The Villanovan. “In one instant he cited the playwright, Enemy of the People, and speaking of the playwright, he told all of us interns that his goal as an elected official was never to be liked by everyone.”
Booker told Hilario that, “‘Sometimes you’ll be pinned against the wall and have to make tough decisions that may not amount to the results that you want, and that will make you unliked by many.’”
Hilario reflected on Booker’s goals as an elected official that she observed during her internship.
“As an elected official, the primary goal should never be to be popular and conventional, the goal is to create a better governing system, and that takes unconventional methods,” she said. “I think he personified what he told us on the Senate floor. I will not pretend as though I agree
with all that he does, but I will say that he is undeniably, and constantly, operating as an unconventional public servant, and that’s the only way we have seen the needle move forward in terms of policy progress.”
The Villanovan also spoke with a member of the Villanova Democrats Club, who also watched Booker’s speech.
“Finally someone with some nuts,” freshman Maceo Crump said. “This is the kind of command of the attention economy we need more than ever from the democrats. The justification behind it was spectacular as well: these are abnormal and abhorrent times, so dramatic action needs to be taken. We can’t pretend like this is business as usual. The devolution of our unity and trust, the dismantling of our great institutions, and the constant attack on our sanity through blatant, egregious lies and conspiracies. This is a truly unprecedented and profoundly evil administration.”
Crump spoke about the future of the political parties and how he hopes that Booker’s speech may inspire stronger leadership.
“My biggest fear is that the Democrats will continue projecting weak leadership and weak communication, enabling Republican brutality without any powerful resistance,” Crump said. “We desperately need a reality check to make people aware—whether for the first time or to remind them— that Trump and the MAGA Republican cult is an abomination.”
Blue Key gears up for another ASD this weekend. Courtesy of Blue Key.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month Campus Kick-Off
Grace LaFond Staff Writer
Monday, April 1 marked the beginning of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), a time when people are urged to reflect on the culture surrounding assault and to raise awareness about the prevalence of sexual violence.
This month is recognized domestically and internationally, and it serves to uplift survivors and provide support to individuals who have experienced the effects of sexual abuse.
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. organizations from Villanova University and the surrounding area gathered around the Riley Ellipse with various activities pertaining to Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Featured organizations included Villanova University’s Sexual Assault and Awareness Club (S.A.P.A.), Villanova University Public Safety, the One Love Organization, Villanova University’s Title IX Office and the Domestic Abuse Project of Delaware County, Inc. (DAP).
“Sexual Assault Awareness Month means so much to me not just as a S.A.P.A. leader but as a Villanova student,” senior Aly Sivinski said. “A lot of students don’t know the resources available to them both on and off campus, and all our events this month really give us the opportunity to educate
people.”
Several organizations showed out at the Riley Elipsis for the month’s kick-off. Courtesy
Individuals walking by the S.A.P.A. display were encouraged to write out their definitions of consent on a large and colorful banner. The S.A.P.A. display also featured posters which highlighted the value of supporting survivors of sexual assault, as well as the benefit of destigmatizing the topic of sexual violence.
The University’s Public Safety staff offered pretzels, donut holes and ice cream to those passing by the displays, encouraging conversation and dialogue surrounding the month. Taffy, the University’s Community Canine, was present to provide comfort
and emotional support to those in need. Students and faculty participated in meaningful conversation at the Riley Ellipse, in addition to representatives from One Love who were also present.
The displays from the University’s Title IX Office, as well as the DAP demonstrated the internal and external resources available to students affected by sexual assault. Posters about sexual violence resources and supporting survivors were present at the Title IX display, as well as various items which read “IT’S ON US NOVA.” The DAP displays featured pamphlets in a variety of languages which covered topics
such as advocacy, counseling, legal services and outreach for survivors of sexual assault.
On Thursday, Apr. 3, the University’s Title IX Office hosted a bystander training intervention program in conjunction with the Delaware County Victim Assistance Center. Taking place in Bartley Hall, the event lasted one hour and covered topics such as survivor support, harm prevention and raising awareness about sexual violence.
Upcoming events relating to Sexual Assault Awareness Month include a talk on April 7 hosted by the University’s Office of Health Promotion. “Connecting the Dots Between Purity Culture and Rape Culture,” to be presented by speakers Sarah Diamond and Dr. Emily Reimer-Berry from San Diego State University, will explore the way in which the culture around sexual assault can evolve over time.
As Sexual Assault Awareness Month continues, efforts from the University and student organizations alike continue to foster an environment in which survivors can come forward and achieve justice.
Information on how to report an act of sexual violence can be found on the University’s website, and various other events during Sexual Assault Awareness Month will be showcased on several named organizations social medias.
The Space Faces Struggle in Hosting Events
Allie Hesler Staff Writer
The Space, a Villanova club dedicated to having conversations surrounding reproductive rights and advocating for reproductive justice, was established in 2023-24 academic year. While the club has been present campus for the past two academic years, this semester the group feels that it has a quieter voice within the Villanova community as the University has barred the organization from hosting certain events.
“We’re really frustrated because we’ve met with the administration a lot in the past couple months, and we don’t really get clear answers,” Co-President of The Space, Caroline Keegan, said.
Earlier this week, the group attempted to host an event on campus called Catholics for Choice. However, its privileges to host that event were revoked the day before it was held.
“We really pushed [Catholics for Choice] because as a Catholic community, we wanted to give students another perspective on reproductive justice through the Catholic lens because a good majority of the school is Catholic,” Keegan said. “And that was shut down because Villanova cannot associate with any organization that is prochoice, even though it’s Catholics for Choice. And that might upset alumni or donors.”
When asked about the reasoning behind canceling the event,
The Villanovan was directed to the student handbook by the University Director of Public Relations, which states: “It is understood that some assemblies and demonstrations may support and defend positions that differ from Catholic Church teaching. The expectation is that they will do so in a responsible fashion, be open to questions and challenges from members of the community, and respectfully acknowledge, and not disparage, Church teaching. If in the judgment of University officials an assembly or demonstration presents a serious risk of violating these principles, the university may impose provisions and restrictions.”
While campus organizations can host events opposing Catholic Church teachings, the University reserves the right to impose restrictions if it anticipates serious problems, as demonstrated in its actions regarding The Space. Co-President of The Space, Sophie Lemmons commented on the matter.
“It’s especially frustrating because our entire mission statement, if you look up the space on VU groups, the words choice and reproductive justice and reproductive health care are all embedded within our mission statement,” Lemmons said. “That is the purpose of our club. That is why we exist on campus. We, in theory, should have the right to host events and advocate for those topics and issues like any other club. And yet time and time again, we have been told no this semester.”
The Space was hoping to change the organization’s name to
“Villanovans for Reproductive Justice” or “Villanovans for Choice.” However, this was denied by the University.
“I feel like [at Villanova] there’s a lot of emphasis on embracing freedom of thought and differing perspectives and engaging in dialogue and conversation,” Lemmons said. “Yet, we are the only club on campus, I believe, that cannot have a name that reflects our purpose, identity and written mission statement. We are not allowed to bring on off-campus speakers or host virtual events or use the words in our mission statement.”
When asked if they thought the University was treating their organization differently compared to other student organizations, Keegan stated on behalf of members that The Space feels very targeted and singled out by the University due to the fact that they are not allowed to host any events or express their opinions in the way they wish to.
“You have Villanovans for Life. You don’t have Villanovans for Reproductive Justice,” Keegan said. “Just looking at that, like no matter your stance on the issue, I think that Villanova prides itself on being a welcoming community to all, but that’s not to all. That’s saying we agree with one side, so we’re not going to look at the other side. We are at a democratic institution where you should be able to speak your opinion in a safe space and have every side to every issue.”
The Space believes that now more than ever, it is important to keep fighting for reproductive rights
and making its voice heard. When asked about the importance of having a club such as The Space on Campus, Keegan was eager to note the sense of empowerment and solidarity that members gain from gathering together.
The Space also wants it to be known that it is not solely a group for people who identify as pro-choice. The organization wants to host events on various subjects related to reproductive health that will target a wider University audience.
“A big part of our club is being pro-choice, among other things too, because reproductive justice is not solely obviously just about abortion,” Lemmons said. “It’s about sexual health, gender identity…”
While The Space is still struggling to get permission from the University when it comes to its ideas, the club intends to keep planning events until the end of the semester and into next fall.
Recently, The Space has been in collaboration with organizations such as Sexual Assault and Awareness Club (S.A.P.A) and various others to run events during Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM).
Along with the kick-off at the Riley Ellipsis that took place on campus last week, The Space and a variety of other organizations will be hosting different events throughout the month.
Students can check out The Space’s instagram for more information and updates (@thespacevillanova).
of It’s on Us Nova.
Author Ghassan Zeineddine Visits Campus
Isabella Balian Staff Writer
Last week, the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies hosted Arab-American author, Ghassan Zeineddine to discuss his book, Dearborn . Ghassan Zeineddine’s debut collection examines the diverse range and complexities of the Arab-American community in Dearborn, Michigan.
In 10 tragicomic stories, Zeineddine explores themes of identity, generational conflicts, war trauma, migration, sexuality, queerness, home and belonging.
Zeineddine currently serves as an assistant professor in creative writing at Oberlin College in Ohio and traveled to Villanova to speak to students about his book.
Villanova students in Professor Abboud and Kalleeny’s Arab Diasporas course read Zeineddine’s book as a part of their curriculum and were able to hear from him directly.
Dr. Samer Abboud, the Director of Center for Arab and Islamic Studies, warmly welcomed Zeineddine during the timely Arab American heritage month. Zeineddine introduced himself and told students and attendees about his upbringing and how it led him to Dearborn.
Zeineddine grew up in Lebanon and then moved to the D.C. area but told students he truly never felt at home in the
states. He told students about his isolating experience living in the states without an Arab-American community, as he didn’t grow up with Arab friends.
He then discussed the impact of moving to Dearborn had on his life and his connection to the Arab-American community there.
“The Arab identity is so visible there,” he said. “I felt very much at home. It was the only place in this country that I really felt at home.”
The city of Dearborn is calmly referred to as Arab-America, as it is home to the largest population of Arab-Americans.
Zeineddine discussed the way geopolitical events caused mass migration from the Arab world to the states, specifically to Dearborn. He mentioned the U.S Invasion of Iraq, the Iraqi Civil War, Civil Strife in Syria and Yemen, and the creation of the state of Israel as events that led to migration to Dearborn.
Zeineddine discussed the pre-existing Arab literature that documented the isolating experience of living without community and that he wanted to write about something else, like the thriving community of Dearborn.
He then began to tell students about his inspiration for the 10 short stories, all of which followed a diverse array of Arab-American characters living in Dearborn.
“Each story was inspired by living in the city of Dearborn,” Zeineddine said. “I set the stories in different time periods to highlight how the Arab American community in Dearborn expanded.”
Zeineddine discussed the strong presence of ICE agents patrolling Dearborn during Trump’s first presidency, and how he wanted to portray this reality within the stories. He told attendees about a personal experience dining in Dearborn and witnessing ICE agents come in and demand papers for the diner employees.
“It creates a weird dichotomy where you feel at home, but you never know when ICE might come, so I wanted to capture that,” Zeineddine said.
With such serious topics, Zeineddine also noted the necessity of comedic writing during his novel. He wanted to portray serious topics that affected the Arab-American community of Dearborn, but also comedically engage his readers.
Zeineddine then read excerpts of three of the short stories, Rabbit Stew, Speedoman and Money Chickens.
After Zeineddine read excerpts from the novel, he welcomed questions and comments from students and other attendees.
One student asked Zeineddine about his understanding of women’s issues in the novel, and how he documented the diverse
experiences of Arab American women.
“There’s so many western stereotypes and misrepresentations of Arab women,” Zeineddine said. “I really wanted to resist that. The Arab-American experience is very diverse, I wanted to show that diverse range of female characters.”
Zeineddine also mentioned the influence of his female family members, having grown up around strong-willed women which naturally seeped into his writing.
Another student asked about takeaways of the short stories, as they all addressed similar themes with diverse experiences.
“The Arab American community in Dearborn is very diverse,” Zeineddine said. This is just a book about Dearborn, not the book.”
He concluded with the idea of what it means to be Arab-American.
“There is a diverse range of experiences about what it feels to be Arab American,” Zeineddine said. “You don’t have to be of Arab descent for these stories to resonate with you.”
Throughout the month of April, the center for Arab and Islamic Studies will be hosting several events in celebration of Arab American Heritage Month.
Students can check out the Arab and Islamic Studies center’s website to stay up to date on upcoming events.
Students Attend International Economics Forum
Ava Petrosky Staff Writer
In January of 2025, Villanovans returned to campus for the start of a new year and a new semester.
However, instead of adjusting back to campus, six students flew to Switzerland to join more than 3,000 people and more than 800 companies at the World Economic Forum.
They took off on Sunday, January 19 and returned a week later on Sunday, January 26. The conference officially took place from Monday through Friday in Davos, a small ski town in the Swiss Alps.
Villanova was one of two American universities that sent undergraduates to this conference, the other university being the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Four of the participating students were members of the Villanova Entrepreneurship Society (VES), and the remaining two were members of the International Business Society (IBS).
The participants included senior Events Chair Teddy Fitzsimons, junior Alumni Chair of VES Jugat Singh, sophomore President of VES Hunter Porro, sophomore Vice President of VES Datamis Ghorbanian, sophomore member of IBS Ryaan Jamal and senior member of IBS Santiago Ortiz de Montellano.
The students made up a team with diverse backgrounds and interests. Fitzsimons and Ghorbanian are members of the Villanova College of Engineering. The remaining members are part of the Villanova School of Business.
“Our backgrounds are very very wide in engineering and business,” Ghorbanian said. “It was very good to have. Each conversation our group could go into, because of our wide backgrounds, we were able to talk to different people.”
The conference hosted people from more than 130 countries.
Together, the Villanovans were able to communicate in about 10 languages collectively among the six of them.
The theme of the conference was “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age,” in which discussions and panels featured topics surrounding artificial intelligence.
“The main takeaway I had was that these companies were focusing on not having AI necessarily replace people’s jobs, but find a way to make operations more efficient,” Jamal said. “So, I just thought that was an interesting spin to keep in mind. I thought that was, like, a positive outlook.”
Throughout the week, the students had the opportunity to speak with many industry leaders at various venues.
The venues were spread throughout the town, some being in churches, others in shops and some in townhouses.
Each year, the MIT & Forbes Dome takes place in an inflatable dome, making it the conference’s largest venue.
It featured panels, talks, networking opportunities and displayed research with more than 500 CEOs and founders in attendance.
“That was pretty cool, just, ‘cause, I really got to talk to people there,” Fitzsimons said. “Where, other [venues], you sit through an event, and you talk after the event or before, at MIT, you spoke all the way through. I think I made the most connections there. And, the connections I made previously showed up, so I got to talk to them more.”
Axios, Bloomberg and NBC were other large venues in which the group was able to participate.
All of this would not have been possible if not for Fitzsimons’ vision the year prior.
In 2024, Fitzsimons had attended the World Economic Forum to watch his mother speak as a representative of the MIT alumni association. After that, he knew he wanted to internationally expand the Villanova name and bring a group of students the following year.
In the Fall of 2024, Fitzsimons presented his idea at the first VES meeting. From there, interest spread to members of IBS. VES and IBS then
worked together to acquire funding from the VSB Deloitte Student Group Fund, which sponsors student professional development opportunities, such as the World Economic Forum.
In addition, the group received funding from University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., Ph.D.
Fitzsimons then reached out to Mike Federle, the CEO of Forbes, who invited Villanova to the MIT & Forbes Dome invite-only portion of the conference.
The students are excited to apply what they had learned in the conference to their future career endeavors. Some participants reported that they hope this becomes an annual Villanova trip.
“It was great that we were the first round of people to go,” Jamal said. “But, speaking of once-in-alifetime, never gonna be surrounded by people like that again. It’s a crazy experience, that if six students from Villanova could experience it every year, that’s phenomenal.”
The Villanova Entrepreneurship Society represents VSB in Switzerland. Courtesy of The Villanova Entrepreneurship Society.
OPINION Are Student Workers Paid Enough?
Zoe Schack Staff Writer
In 2020, approximately 40% of full-time undergraduate students nationwide held jobs while pursuing their degrees, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Recent years’ admissions profiles indicate that around two-thirds of students accepted to Villanova held paying jobs in high school, but the number of enrolled Villanovans working campus jobs is not known. However, judging by the number of fellow undergrads working jobs that most of us know, it’s safe to assume that this group makes up a significant part of the student population.
By taking a look at the University’s job postings site, one can see more than 150 positions open for students with a range of skill sets, availability hours and areas of interest. From paid opportunities in different academic departments to research programs to service roles, it seems there is no shortage of opportunities to make some much-needed money between classes, fitting these employment opportunities into a Villanovan’s already-busy schedule. However, students working these roles demonstrate a range of opinions on the adequacy of their wages and the convenience of the job offerings available on campus.
Victoria Phillips, a freshman biology major, reflected on her role as an assistant in the Office of Student Life under Vice President of Student Life Kathy Byrnes.
“I get paid $10 an hour, but I think that’s fair,” Phillips said.
“On any given day, I typically don’t have many involved tasks I am doing. If no one is in and someone calls or comes in, I will take those messages for my boss, or sometimes I will walk things over to different buildings and assist with miscellaneous tasks when they come up. Considering the nature of my work, I think the amount I make is completely fine.”
Jamal Harrison, a junior psychology major who works at the Donohue Market and the Connelly Center as a cashier, echoed these sentiments.
“I think that on-campus jobs are all right,” he said. “At least
from my experience working at Villanova so far, I’ve been treated fairly regarding my economic status and it is understood that my academics are my priority. Although I can’t speak for everyone with an on-campus position, I think the pay for my job on-campus at least is very good.”
For any students seeking on-campus employment, quotas in scheduling are in place to ensure students have enough time to dedicate to academics, involvement and their social lives.
According to the Villanova University Student’s Guide to Employment, “The Student Employment Program allows currently enrolled students, excluding Uni-
versity faculty and staff employees, to work up to 20 hours per week during the Fall and Spring semesters and 35 hours per week during the Summer semester and academic breaks to earn funds to help pay for their educational expenses.”
On paper, these time limits may not seem like an issue, but in practice, the hours that are open for many students to clock in at their campus jobs may not be the most practical options.
Freshman psychology major Kiera Edge, who previously worked in Villanova’s Advancement office, agreed, contending that hours pose more of a challenge than the pay itself.
“Because of the low effort required for many student jobs here on campus, I believe that students are paid adequately,” she said. “Considering the reason students seek out jobs, however, the low wages and shift hours during prime study and class time. Therefore, these jobs are not conducive to the ‘work-study’ brand that supposedly benefits students in paying for our high tuition. In my experience, after having an on-campus job, it was more productive to get a job off-campus.”
It seems as though any student who wants an opportunity to work will find one. It’s not availability of options in the application phase that poses a problem. Instead, it’s the specific programs’ lack of flexibility.
After all, Villanova student workers need to be seen not just as employees but as the students and community members that they are.
The Problem with Mandatory Labs
Kaitlin Lawrenson Staff Writer
How does the human body work? I don’t know, and, honestly, I am not really interested in finding out. As a liberal arts student, the idea of taking two sciences with labs during my sophomore year is nothing short of dreadful.
The more I talk to other students in my major and surrounding areas of study, the more I have realized that we are all on the same page: sign up for the easiest possible science class we can get into and pray that our GPAs get by unscathed. In my opinion, liberal arts students should only have to take one science and have no required labs.
I understand that the true meaning of a liberal arts and sciences education is to give students a well-rounded education that dips into multiple areas of study. However, when we get too in depth into other areas of study, it can begin to overwhelm students and lead them to dread a majority of their first years in college.
I am nervous for my sophomore year given the two lab requirements that are completely diluting my major and minor classes
in communication and sociology. Rather than being excited to learn from some of the best professors in my fields, I am dreading coming back from Summer Break because I know that a chemistry class is waiting for me.
More importantly, I have never been a science or math student, it was never my strength. Hence, why I am pursuing a career in a completely different field. Yet, I am being forced to take what I feel is an excess amount of hours in the science realm, for what?
I doubt I will use what I will be learning in my science classes in my career when I leave Villanova. Thus, I am spreading myself extremely thin to save my GPA so it is not destroyed by classes that aren’t even covering what I am studying in college.
How is that fair to students in the arts? It is damaging the GPA and grades of students who simply aren’t in love with or good at math or science. I understand that is why we have MSEs, yet, let’s be real, these classes aren’t any easier than a lot of the other regular science classes.
I shouldn’t be sitting in a three-hour lab when I could be studying for another class that will truly benefit me as I prepare
for a career in public relations and advertising. Moreover, now I am taking a seat in a class from a student who does need or want to take that class.
Faith Malki, a comprehensive science major on the pre-dental track, is greatly affected by students like me.
“Registration can be very stressful since many students including myself have a very tight schedule and are essentially competing to get the classes they need so they can be prepared by their junior year,” Malki said. “Having to register for these classes with students who are not science majors or don’t want to go into healthcare can add a level of stress to registration because those seats are being taken up by students who need to just take the class as a requirement.”
With freshmen registration having commenced a week ago, I can personally testify to Malki’s frustration as the spots in science and lab classes are limited. Not only does this stress out liberal arts students as it severely messes with our schedules but it takes opportunities away from the students who need those classes for their majors.
Most science majors, like Malki, have a very specific track and there isn’t much wiggle room
when it comes to falling behind.
Thus, when students like myself take spots in classes that students like Malki are actually needing more and prepared for, it does both sides of the spectrum a disservice.
I truly understand the true meaning of being a liberal arts and sciences student. It is a holistic education with multiple different course topics to create a well-rounded education for all Villanova students.
I am very much a believer in this system that the school has set up and supports Villanova in their ability to give me such a diverse academic experience whilst in college.
However, I also believe that there are degrees to the intensity of this broadness and diversity, which we can scale back on in order to not overwhelm students. By requiring liberal arts students to only take one science class without a lab, it will allow students to continue advancing their scientific studies but also make it enjoyable.
All the while, saving the truly difficult and limited classes for the students who not only need them but want to be in them. Let’s keep the science in the lab where it belongs - away from my GPA.
Working as a barista is just one of several on-campus employment opportunities for students. Gabi Frank/Villanovan Photography
EDITORIAL BOARD LETTERS TO THE EDITORS
BROOKE ACKERMAN
Editor-in-Chief
NICOLE LIDDICOAT
Editor-in-Chief
LAUREN ARMSTRONG
Associate Editor-in-Chief
AVERY CHALK
Opinion Editor
KAILEY FAHY
Opinion Editor
Peter Fabietti Staff Writer
Last Saturday, upon opening Instagram, I was greeted with a post from Villanova Dining that read, “Poke Bowls Coming Soon.” I couldn’t believe my eyes. Just a few months after sushi being introduced on campus, Villanova students were being blessed with yet another delicious dining option. Was I in heaven? Did I reach nirvana? Could pigs finally fly? I couldn’t wait until Monday afternoon when I could try them. So, after trying all three versions of the bowls, I must ask: was all my excitement worth it?
The short answer is yes. The longer answer is yes, but I should’ve tapered my expectations a little. Let’s start with the positives. The bowl tastes really good. The fish, rice, avocado, seaweed, edamame, cucumbers and poke sauce all combine really well, and in my opinion, make for one of the most flavorful options at Café Nova. Everything tastes very fresh, and by Dining Services using the same vendor as the sushi, I am confident in the quality of the raw fish. Like with the sushi, I am certain that most college campuses do not have poke bowls in their dining halls. I applaud Villanova for making the effort to give students unique dining options, and I hope this effort will continue in the future.
I only have two real complaints about the poke bowls: the portion sizes and customizability.
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.
Poke Bowl Palooza
POLICY
The unsigned editorial that appears is the opinion of The Villanovan as determined by the majority of the Editorial Board. Other columns, letters and artwork represent the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of The Villanovan
Upon getting my first bowl, I immediately noticed how small the portions were. At Café Nova, how does it make sense that one meal can get me a giant burrito bowl but also the tiniest poke bowl I’ve ever seen? I understand that fish is expensive, but there are other ways to beef up the portion sizes. For example, adding more rice and more add-ins would help with this issue. (Side note: why does every bowl only come with two slices of cucumber? I mean, really?)
This brings me to customizability. In my opinion, there should be more ingredients available to put in the poke bowls, and students should be able to choose what they want to add. The current add-ins are great, but a few more couldn’t hurt as well.
Mango, pickled ginger, carrots and sesame seeds are just a few other common ingredients in poke bowls, and these would make great additions for customizability. I also think having a few more sauces available, such as spicy mayo and mango aioli, would help diversify the bowls. Students could potentially mix two sauces together to create an even more flavorful meal.
Many Villanova students agree that the poke bowls need bigger portion sizes and more variation.
“It was really good. I’d order it a lot,” sophomore Maggie Coia said. “They would be better if they were customizable and had bigger portions.”
“The portions are too small,”
sophomore Archer Yang said.
“The portions should be bigger, and they need more add-ins.” sophomore Ava Felice said. “I would like more than two cucumber slices. The tofu would be more flavorful if it was seared.”
When thinking about meal swipe value, I would understand why less fish would be included because fish is often very expensive. However, with tofu typically being significantly less expensive than fish, the vegetarian option should certainly have more tofu in it. Furthermore, if the tofu were seared, it would add some more life to it.
“A chicken option would be nice,” sophomore Luke Fabietti said. “It’s a cheaper way to add more protein.”
By adding cheaper protein options, such as chicken, the portion sizes would certainly increase. Though chicken is not necessarily a traditional poke bowl add-in, I’ve been to many places that offer it as an option nonetheless. Furthermore, adding more variation in the poke bowl proteins will allow students to repeatedly order them without getting bored.
Despite the few issues I have, I think the poke bowls are a great addition to Villanova Dining. They are certainly one of the best, most flavorful meals one can get at Café Nova, and I can’t wait to brag about them to my friends who go to other schools. If Villanova takes the opportunity to make the portions larger and allow more variety in the bowls, they will be even better than they currently are.
What Villanova’s Tuition Hike Means for Students
Patricia Cancio Staff Writer
On March 12, 2025, Villanova sent an email from University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., Ph.D. which outlined several updates. One of these updates was the FY 2026 Budget, which indicates that the University’s Board of Trustees approved the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, including a tuition increase of 4.5% and a financial aid budget increase of 5.8%.
According to the email, the FY 2026 budget aims to meet 100% of demonstrated undergraduate financial need, which is one of its key goals of the strategic plan: Rooted. Restless.
However, without financial assistance, the tuition cost of the 2025-26 academic year is $69,846, and the total estimated cost of attendance is $92,814, depending on the housing and meal plan
selection. Taking into account the national average U.S. salary for 2025, which is $63,795, attending a university like Villanova is not possible for many individuals.
The tuition increase is justified by a combination of different internal and external factors.
As stated in the email, “Villanova is heavily dependent on tuition revenue to support operational expenses and is impacted by general inflation and labor market conditions. Annual increases, which consider all these factors, enable the University to continue providing an exceptional academic experience, comprehensive student support services, and additional need-based financial assistance while ensuring continued prudent financial stewardship.”
For some individuals, the tuition increase is highly concerning, especially at a time where there have been numerous changes regarding federal employment under the new administration of President Donald Trump. One of
my jobs on campus is at the University Advancement Department, where my main goal is to connect with Villanova alumni and parents of current students to raise funds that support the annual scholarship fund, academic departments, student organizations and other initiatives at Villanova.
This semester, I have spoken with numerous alumni who donate to the University every year or once in a while, and many individuals have expressed concerns regarding the yearly tuition increase, or others have stopped donating to Villanova due to the uncertainty with federal employment and fear of mass layoffs.
On the other hand, another announcement outlined in the email is the Cabrini Campus update. In 2023, Villanova announced the acquisition of the Cabrini campus.
Villanova plans to move the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, graduate programs in the Fitzpatrick College of Nurs -
ing, Department of Education and Counseling, Ethics Program and the Department of Communication.
The Cabrini Campus acquisitions is also part of Rooted. Restless., which is supposed to be finalized by 2030. Throughout this strategic plan, Villanova aims to enhance education, student opportunities, meet 100% of financial aid needs and expand research, among other initiatives.
Financial efforts will help Villanova accomplish its strategic plan goals. Although the tuition increase has a direct impact on campus improvements and expansions, it is still stressful for students and families as this increase has an impact on student loans and debt post-graduation.
Transparent communication, equitable financial aid policies and sustained efforts to foster alumni engagement will be essential in ensuring that the University remains both accessible and exceptional.
Cafe Nova’s new poke bowls are available in their Sushi station. Sophia Lutzker/Villanovan Photography
Green or Gone Wrong: Analyzing New Takeout Box Policy
Massimo DiLeo Staff Writer
After Spring Break, students came back to campus ready to finish off the semester strong. However, one thing was slightly different at Villanova than when students departed a week earlier.
In the past, if a student wished to take food out of the dining hall to another location on campus or get late night after 9 p.m., they were given a paper style box that could be used then disposed of when no longer needed. Now, Villanova has introduced blue plastic takeout boxes that can be checked out of the dining halls, then returned by students.
This implementation was passed by the Student Government Association (SGA) in order to reduce the amount of waste being produced on campus, but there has been widespread criticism regardless.
On the first day of the new system, students were prompted to sign up for reuse passes, which would allow Villanova to track boxes that leave the dining hall and implement the three days return rule before fines began.
This system confused many students instantly as they had to use their phones to scan out the boxes, as opposed to just receiving them from Dining Services staff. In addition, Villanova was not initially clear about how to return
Sof Quaglia Satire Columnist
According to one Google AI search, the term “manifest destiny” was originally coined by a journalist named John L. O’Sullivan. I don’t know if that fact is real, but I am going to run with it for the sake of this article.
What I do know is the definition of “manifest destiny.” I know that it means that God gave us the right to own as much land as we want. I think. I’m pretty sure that’s what that means. At least, that’s what I got from that one Panic! At the Disco song.
If God wants us to own as much land as possible, it would make sense that a Catholic school would want to own as many campuses as possible. It’s just God’s will.
The expansion of the United States is in the past, even if our president does want to acquire Canada. Let’s move on from trying to make more states, and focus on the real important expansion venture: Pennsylvania colleges.
Say goodbye to President James K. Polk, and hello to University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., Ph.D.
As you might have heard, Villanova recently announced its merger with Rosemont College. Last year, Villanova acquired Cabrini College. Acquiring one school is child’s play. Any university can acquire a small liberal arts college. Easy peasy. Light work.
Acquiring one school and merging with another? That’s a real
the boxes leaving students confused after taking the boxes out of the dining hall. Later on, Dining Services made an Instagram post laying out how to return the boxes using the return kiosks at the dining hall’s entrances, but this came days later. Many students were also confused on whether or not they needed to clean the boxes prior to returning them before the video was released.
The reusable revolution
has made its way to late night as well. In the past, late night, served at Donaue, Dougherty and St. Mary’s dining halls, was served in brown paper boxes that could easily be transported out of the dining hall or used inside as well. Now, late night has taken new form. Instead of the old method, dining services staff will ask students if they wish to dine in or take out which will determine how their food is served. If students
Sof Says: Manifest Destiny
business move. This is a business school after all, so it makes sense that we would make money moves.
But why stop there? Villanova, Cabrini and Rosemont are just the beginning. One University is nothing. Three is something, but is it enough? What’s enough? How many campuses does one university need to buy in order to win?
There are a lot of liberal arts schools around here. Cabrini and Rosemont are not the only ones. You’ve got Swarthmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr. The list goes on and on. Some people might be happy with Villanova merging with these Main Line liberal arts schools, and they would be right. I would love for Villanova to own every college on the Main Line, but why stop there? Why not get the rest of the Big Five?
I’m sure that some people would have a problem with us “merging” with St. Joe’s, but what if we acquired it like modern day conquistadors? We would literally and figuratively own them.
People love to claim that Villanova is not a Philly school, but they can’t say that when we open Villanova’s Temple University satellite campus. Would I ever go to that campus? Of course not. I chose this very safe school for a reason. But I would appreciate some more street cred.
Who cares about the University of Pennsylvania when Villanova is going to become the Pennsylvania university.
That’s right. I don’t want people to have a choice. I want Villanova to be the only college in the whole state, and I think the powers that be agree with me.
opt to dine in, late night will be served on a plastic tray that can then be left in the dining hall to be cleaned. If a student opts to take out, they will then have to check out the blue plastic takeout boxes and follow the same policies as they would if taking out during normal dining hall hours.
Many reading this article will probably think to themselves that although these implementations may cause confusion and frustration amongst students, the overall goal of the new system is much more important. Although these opinions are valid, many have argued that the new system isn’t all that it seems since the reusable boxes that are distributed are made of plastic, which is counterintuitive to many.
While Villanova’s new reusable system may seem like a step toward sustainability, it raises several concerns. The environmental impact of plastic, even when reused, isn’t overlooked by many, especially when considering the risks of proper sanitation.
Additionally, the initial lack of clear communication and accessibility for students regarding the new boxes undermines its effectiveness. A new take on the system could take initiative to reduce waste while also aligning with the values of the student body. If these small changes are not made, the current system may risk missing the mark in its quest for a greener campus.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania? More like Indiana University of Villanova. IUV, if you will. Move over Penn State, Villanova is taking over the state.
Actually, let’s talk about Penn State for a second. Do you know how many Penn State satellite campuses there are? No? Well, I’ll tell you.
Nineteen. There are 19 Penn State satellite campuses. They are literally killing the Pennsylvania college game.
But, if Villanova were to acquire all of the Penn States, in addition to the three campuses they already have, they would be in the lead.
To the person who is actually in charge of these mergers and acquisitions, please contact me. I have some serious strategies.
I might not be a business student, but I know business moves when I see them. I’ve seen Succession. I know how this works.
The most important part of this to me isn’t winning, though. It’s
about status. We all go here because of the status. Nobody actually wanted to come here. We just wanted to say we did.
When Villanova announced that it bought Cabrini, it was a personal win for me because Kylie Kelce went to Cabrini. In a roundabout way, I can say that I went to the same school as Kylie Kelce. But why stop at just one of my favorite celebrities?
If Villanova buys Penn State, we can say we went to the same school as Saquon Barkley. If Villanova merges with the University of Pittsburgh, we can say we went to the same school as Gene Kelly.
If we acquire the University of Pennsylvania, we can say we went to the same school as a lot of people, most notably Elizabeth Banks.
I love my college, and I love my state. Is it so bad that I want my college to take over my state? I don’t think so.
Many students have opted to leave their boxes outside, cluttering dorm hallways. Sophia Lutzker/Villanovan Photography
According to Sof, Villanova is on track to conquer all of Pennsylvania. Courtesy of @rosemontcollege on Instagram
What Does Willard Mean for Villanova’s NIL Program?
Carter Smith Staff Writer
Continued from p.1 some programs and coaches, finding themselves unable to recruit and keep high-level players.
Enter the newly-minted head coach of the Villanova men’s basketball team: Kevin Willard.
It has been widely rumored and reported that a key reason Willard chose to leave Maryland for Villanova was because of a lack of NIL funding from the University which he deemed appropriate for building a championship-caliber team. Thanks to John Talty of CBS Sports, we have more insight into the situation.
Allegedly, Willard’s frustration with Maryland’s NIL funding has been a constant problem for the University’s athletic department since he took the head coaching job there. According to Tarlty, he frequently pestered former-athletic director Damon Evans and recently appointed interim-AD Colleen Sorum for more funding to be diverted from the football to the basketball program.
These tensions erupted before Maryland’s first-round victory against Grand Canyon in this year’s March Madness Tournament.
“I need to make sure that we are where we are with NIL and rev share is not where we’ve been with NIL over the past two years,” Willard reported during his media availability.
“We’ve been one of the worst, if not lowest, in NIL in the last two
years. So that’s first and foremost.”
While his claim about Maryland’s NIL ranking is wildly inaccurate, based upon publicly available information, it makes his priorities clear. In that same presser, he made a point to say that he wished he could have spent an extra night in New York with his team after beating Syracuse in the Barclay’s Center this season to celebrate Christmas, but the athletic department told him it was too expensive.
Willard wanted to leave Maryland in search of a school who makes basketball the monetary priority and has a hefty NIL budget to back it up. So why did he pick Villanova, when we have had notable struggles
with paying to get and keep great talent in the NIL era?
Enter recently-appointed Villanova Athletic Director: Eric Roedl.
While I cannot say for certain the exact reasoning behind Roedl being the choice to replace Mark Jackson aside from being a graduate of Villanova, his ability to raise and manage money, as well as navigate the NIL-era of college athletics, seems to be a big part of it. Roedl comes over from being the Deputy Athletic Director and Chief Operating Officer at the University of Oregon, a school which notably possesses a large budget for athletics and a well-developed NIL program funded by big time corporate partners like Nike.
“During his tenure at Oregon, Eric had oversight of the $163 million athletic department budget, helped lead Oregon’s recent transition to the Big Ten Conference, and led the strategy and implementation of NCAA permissible student-athlete initiatives, including aspects of the proposed House settlement and Name, Image and Likeness (NIL),” University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., Ph.D. said in Roedl’s introductory email.
“Roedl also provided leadership to the Ducks’ external operations units, including ticket sales/operations, marketing and fundraising, which generated more than $60M in revenues annually,” the Villanova Athletics website stated.
While there has never been exact data on Villanova NIL spending available to students or the public, there were plenty of rumblings that Mark Jackson failed to adequately flesh out the University’s NIL network, which may have contributed to multiple star Villanova players, especially Lucy Olsen, leaving to play on bigger stages and for bigger checks.
The hiring of Roedl seems to indicate that a renewed focus on basketball spending from a budgetary and NIL perspective could be coming down the pipeline. I highly doubt Willard would have come here without assurances of a fully stocked NIL fund available for his direction to recruit promising freshman and high-value transfers and get the Wildcats back to the Tournament.
Kevin Willard’s Messy Departure from Maryland
Betty Lundborn Staff Writer
If you own a smartphone, or have spoken to anyone on campus in the last week, it is no secret that Kevin Willard, former Maryland Terrapins basketball coach, will be taking Kyle Neptune’s spot for the upcoming seasons. Despite this being overall great news for Villanova fans, Willard’s transition has not come without drama. After Maryland’s loss to the Florida Gators on Saturday night, ending its run in this year’s March Madness tournament in the Sweet Sixteen, Willard was cited as being rather defensive and sarcastic at the following press conference.
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” Willard said as he was grilled by the press. “I’ll be honest with you. I haven’t talked to my agent. I haven’t talked to my wife.”
When asked if he had received an offer from Villanova, he simply responded with “I have no idea.”
I must admit, I found this incredibly entertaining as it was happening, as did my friends. However, after taking a step back, I’ve realized that this media frenzy may need to be treated with caution.
Although, Willard’s entry into Villanova basketball is a step in the right direction, there are a few factors that we should all consider. First, the media disaster surrounding him could be an indicator of how team and fan base interactions could go in the future. Villa-
nova is looking for someone who is able to have a larger presence on campus than Neptune did, more similar to Jay Wright. However, it is important to consider the reasons that Willard left Maryland, which primarily have to do with funding. It seems, according to CBS Sports, that a primary influence on Willard’s job switch was the way that the respective basketball programs are funded at Maryland and Villanova. Ultimately, this is a valid reason to show disdain towards a program. Willard, being a former Big East coach, may be better suited, socially, for this position. The other issue that has arisen is the idea of Big East rivalry in the upcoming season. Now that there will be two Pitino family members coaching in the Big East, Rick and Rick Jr., for St. John’s and Xavier, as well as Willard’s return to the conference after his departure from Seton hall, the question of heightened tension has been on the minds of many fans.
“I think it’s all about his roots in the Big East,” freshman Nick Calandrino said when asked why he thought Willard’s departure was so surprising. “He played in the Big East for Pittsburgh [when it was still a part of the conference], he coached for Seton Hall. And those teams are the ones that gave Villanova the most trouble in 2016 to 2018. In 2020, when he was still coaching for Seton Hall, that team could’ve been a two-seed. I just think that every point in his career has pointed to him coaching in the
Big East.”
Looking at Willard’s career thus far, it does make sense that he is returning to the Big East. He played and coached in this conference when it was known for greatness, and in the past few years, it simply hasn’t been as top-tier as it used to be. For Willard, it’s possible that this is a mission to return the Big East to its former glory.
It is also important to consider the funding aspect of Willard’s transition.
“Maryland is not a basketball-first school like Villanova, so their funding isn’t focused primarily on the basketball team,” Calandrino said.
Considering the skills that
Willard has, it wouldn’t have made sense for him to stay at Maryland, which he has openly criticized in the past for not allocating enough funding to the basketball program. All things considered, Kevin Willard’s frustration seems well-founded. Although his departure from Maryland was anything but smooth, it is no surprise that he’ll be returning to his home conference this year. While yes, this still is an outside hire, Willard may have a larger presence on campus and overall positive effect on the program due to his long-standing ties with the conference. Media frenzy or not, it is safe to say that Willard is coming back to the Big East with a vengeance.
Willard’s hiring will likely lead to restructuring of NIL money at Villanova.
Dylan Johnson/Villanovan Photography
Lundborn discusses the media frenzy surrounding Willard’s Maryland departure. Courtesy of @novambb
Willard Will Be Different Than Wright, Give Him A Chance
Loghan Kirney Staff Writer
With another disappointing basketball season for Villanova, new head coach Kevin Willard has been brought in to lead the team. Despite the controversies surrounding him, Willard is a great addition to Villanova basketball.
Willard has had a lot of experience coaching basketball. In his 18-season career so far, he has had 335 victories as a head coach and led teams to seven NCAA Tournaments. He started his head coaching career at Seton Hall in 2010 and was there for 12 seasons. While there he had 225 victories and even won the 2016 Big East Championship over the Wildcats. He then moved on to Maryland where he coached for three seasons and had 65 victories. He also had two NCAA tournament appearances with the team. His most recent being the Sweet Sixteen this season. A lot of the gossip surrounding Willard involves his leave from Maryland. Many fans from both schools felt it was messy to leave a program after a large accomplishment, and believed Willard was just in it for the money. This comes after he openly complained about the underfunded Terrapins program.
Despite this public and messy leave, I can’t blame Willard for wanting to move on. After his successes, it doesn’t make sense to
not give him the pay he deserves. It seems Villanova was willing to give him that extra cash, and so he made the switch. In this economy, I think we would all jump at the opportunity for more money.
I’m not the only student who feels this way. The Villanovan s poke to graduate student and Villanova basketball superfan Joe Coyne about the new hire.
“I’m excited by the hire,” Coyne said. “He comes with a lack of deep tournament success, but
he’s a Big East coach at his core. Willard also has a little edge to him, which should make him feel more relatable to fans.”
This edge Coyne is referring to is just who Willard is. He’s a coach that is willing to be tough so his team can win. From his accolades we can clearly see he sets his teams up to win. And after not making the tournament for three years, I think the Wildcats could use a strong leader that won’t back down.
His abrasive personality still might rub people the wrong way. I think it is important to note that not every coach is going to act similarly in the media. Despite his seemingly rude attitude, Willard knows how to lead a team to the tournament, which is something Villanova desperately needs right now.
The Villanovan spoke to senior Owen Hewitt about Willard and his seemingly-rude personality.
“What people on campus are going to have to come to terms with is that Willard is not built in the Jay Wright archetype,” Hewitt said. “In the way that he carried himself around the program, Neptune was a perfect disciple of Wright. I think it’s more important right now to have a person in charge who can win basketball games rather than a person who’s going to be a campus role model.”
Willard is going to make smart decisions for the team despite his lack of stellar media presence. He knows how to recruit and help his team rise to the top. I am personally excited to see how he turns this program around. I think we all need to give Willard a chance. Villanovans need to see his magic on the court and then decide whether he is the right fit for our school. My only hope is we can make the tournament next year. So sit back, relax and enjoy the new era.
Wildcats Share Their Favorite Local Spots
Juliana Burke Staff Writer
When one arrives at Villanova University, they are tasked not only with learning the ins-and-outs of campus, but also the surrounding Radnor area. Luckily for Wildcats, Radnor has a little bit of everything: beautiful parks, architecture, dining and proximity to the shopping-filled streets of Suburban Square. To help those in the Class of 2029 or those simply struggling to assimilate to the area, The Villanovan asked Villanova students for their 10 “hidden gems” of the 19085.
1. Christopher’s: A Neighborhood Place
Located in the heart of downtown Wayne, Christopher’s is the quintessential cozy family dining experience, serving everything from freshly baked goods to chef-curated seasonal dishes.
Sophomore Fiona Sullivan is a regular customer of Christopher’s.
“Christopher’s is the place for comfort food in the Villanova area,” Sullivan said. “My favorite menu item of theirs is the Grilled Marinated Chicken Breast Sandwich, complete with gouda cheese and sliced avocado. The ambience of Christopher’s is awesome and the outdoor dining option is great for the early fall/late spring.”
2. Winsor Trail
Perfect for hiking, playing baseball or simply relaxing by a waterfall, Winsor Trail has something for everyone. Located approximately ten minutes from campus, Win-
sor Trail offers a series of cleared, marked paths to make for a beautiful hike.
Sophomore Ava Hunn discovered this spot on Google Maps as she was searching for hiking trails in the area.
“I love Winsor Trail,” Hunn said. “It is the perfect weekend activity, and the trails go on for miles. They have flatter and steeper ones depending on your hiking ability, which is great for accessibility.”
3. Stoneleigh
Sophomore Nick Shapkarov loves to unwind at this serene garden spot in his free time. Stoneleigh has “soaring trees, expansive vistas and native plants,” making for a beautiful picnic spot off-campus.
4. Otto by Polpo
When one has the urge to dress up and have life-changingly good pasta, sophomore Sophia Taylor says this is the place of all places. Located on Bryn Mawr Avenue, Otto offers a vast array of eclectic art within its restaurant, allowing for a unique dining experience.
5. Green Engine Coffee
Another recommendation by Radnor-expert Taylor is the Green Engine Coffee shop. Taylor’s favorite aspect of Green Engine is the ambience of the dining room, complete with a fireplace and seating areas that are great for studying, simply grabbing coffee (or its homemade gelato) with friends.
6. The Willows
This recommendation comes with a lot of weight, as junior Sebastian Moreland is no stranger to the Radnor area, after having grown up a proud 19085 local.
“I love the Willows, not only for its natural beauty and recreational areas, but also because of its formation by Radnor residents in pursuit of upkeeping the infamous Willow Mansion,” Moreland said. Everyone has an open invite to see the revitalization efforts of the mansion.
7. Exit 13 Gastrobar
Described on its website as “Italian with international influence,” Exit 13 Gastrobar has expansive
options and portions for all taste preferences. Sophomore Angela Choi shared this recommendation, as well as a more specific recommendation for the famous Penne Alla Vodka.
8. Pietro’s
Sophomore Kierra Pickard cannot recommend this pizza joint enough.
“My favorite menu item is the meatball appetizer,” Pickard said. “I love coming here with my roommates after a long week of classes. Pietro’s is such a family-like atmosphere, with its convenience coming from its location being not far from campus whatsoever.”
9. White Dog Cafe
Sophomore Katelyn-Eve Finnan cannot say enough about the unique cuisine offered in Wayne.
“The White Dog Cafe has amazing service,” Finnan said. “The staff was very attentive and I love the unique dog-themed decor in each room. Also, if you see the Goat Cheese Whipped Ricotta on the menu, order it. It’s absolutely to die for.”
10. Minella’s.
Last but not least, I had to mention my favorite dining experience I’ve had since I arrived at Villanova nearly two years ago. Minella’s Diner is a top-tier breakfast experience. It has a bakery in front, a full dining room and the best Western omelet I have ever eaten. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough. Located on the Main Line, this place is the main event. Do not miss out on Minella’s or any other place on this list. After all, they have all gotten the Wildcat stamp of approval.
Kirney argues that Willard will be different from previous Villanova coaches, like Wright. Courtesy of @novaathletics on Instagram
Burke cites Otto by Polpo as a great Radnor spot. Kailey Fahy/Villanovan Photography
Protein Products: Tried and True Review
Juliana Burke Staff Writer
Although they are controversial, I absolutely love artificial protein products. As an active college student who weight trains multiple times a week, it is very difficult to hit the recommended one-gram per pound of bodyweight protein goal that is essential to maintaining and developing muscle mass.
Sure, we have access to lots of natural protein in our dining halls, like eggs, chicken, Greek yogurt and for the vegans, tofu, but even if one based three of their meals around these protein sources, they would still often fall short of the gram-per-pound golden rule. Although these should be consumed in moderation, due to their sugar alcohol content and artificial sweeteners, here are my 10 favorite protein snacks that have helped me hit my protein goals with greater ease.
Barebells Protein Bars - Barebells taste exactly like Nestle Crunch bars, without any nutritional similarities. With 200 calories, 20 grams of protein and one gram of sugar, Barebells help satiate one’s sweet tooth while helping to achieve one’s physique goals.
David’s Protein BarsAlbeit more on the expensive side, these protein bars boast the best macros on the market. While the taste is admittedly not as satisfying
as Barebells, they have the consistency of cookie dough and do not taste as macro friendly as they are. With 150 calories, a whopping 28 grams of protein and 0 grams of sugar, David’s are arguably worth the investment. I purchased the variety pack, and my favorite flavors are Blueberry Pie and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. Grab a pack of six unique flavors on Amazon or David’s website.
Naked Whey Protein Powder - Breaking from the artificial status of the other favorites on the list, Naked Whey thrives on its simplicity and straightforward packaging. Containing only grass-fed whey, cacao and coconut sugar, the taste of Naked Whey is not chalky and blends well in all liquids. The macros are impressive, with a calorie-to-protein ratio of 120:5. It comes in multiple flavors: chocolate, vanilla, double chocolate, chocolate peanut butter and strawberry.
Fairlife Protein Shakes - Fairlife protein shakes are otherwise commonly regarded as the holy grail of protein products. The taste, macronutrient profile and flavor diversity seem so good as to be illegal. With an “elite” shake containing 42 grams of protein for merely 230 calories, Fairlife negates the excuse that one cannot hit protein goals. I have been drinking Fairlife since my high school track days, and with the availability of Fairlife in Conn, I have not stopped this tradition
since. In fact, this is where 99% of my points went toward last semester, towards Fairlife and the #gains.
ONE Bars - I was happily surprised when the last protein bar available at the Villanova Stop-NShop was one of the best I have tasted so far. ONE Bars have a similar macronutrient profile to Barebells, but a greater diversity of flavor. The birthday cake bar has actual sprinkles in it, adding to the dessert-feel protein companies so often fail to adequately bring to fruition.
Quest Bars - Quest had to make an honorable mention on this protein-packed list because of its flavor diversity and the fact that they are the starter products of most beginner weightlifters. Freshman Maggie Earle suggested I add the “Crispy Blueberry Cobbler” (specifically) to this list - available at Connvenience.
Oikos Triple Zero
Greek Yogurt - A break from the bars and powders on this list, Oikos Greek Yogurt has impressive macro ratios of its own. With 90 calories and 15 grams of protein, this yogurt is both tasty and versatile for blending with granola, fruit and other popular toppings (maybe even some mentioned on this list).
Kodiak Cake Flapjacks - These pancakes have all of the flavor of your classic diner flapjacks, but less of the sugar, calories and more of the protein and
whole grain carbohydrates. After merely 90 seconds in the microwave, they are hot-and-ready to become a new favorite breakfast item.
Kodiak Cake Oatmealin-a-Cup - It is a miracle I only mentioned Kodiak Cakes twice in this article, as they have a myriad of wonderful products ranging from muffins to graham crackers to waffles. The Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cup is one that gets me out of bed with a spring in my step. It’s just that good. I typically add a banana, cinnamon and a spoonful of peanut butter. Perfect for when one only has a bit of time, this product is available at most grocery stores and Target.
Halo Top Ice Cream - Ice cream? With protein? And a third of the caloric content of most ice creams? Halo Top checks all three of these boxes. Although it is noticeably a *bit* different from the indulgent combinations of Ben and Jerry’s, it satisfies a sugar craving and has a flavor for every ice cream lover. Here is to getting fit with flavor.
While some students may use these snacks as a way to prepare for the gym, some may just need an early morning pickup or a late night snack while cramming for a test or finishing an essay here on campus. Whatever your needs may be, know that these protein products are tried and true and can fuel any task, academic or athletic.
CULTURE
“Don’t Erase Me: The Modern Arab-American”
Cali Carss Staff Writer
On April 3, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the Villanova School of Business presented the final event of its Spotlight Speaker Series. Jeremiah Stinnett M.Ed. was welcomed in the Curley Exchange to give a version of his TedTalk “Don’t Erase Me: The Modern Arab-American.” Stinnett has worked at multiple universities in student life and programming capacities and is currently the Program Lead of Dallas College’s Male Achievement Program.
To begin his talk, Stinnett discussed the idea of being a fourth-generation Arab-American. This is a difficult dichotomy, as Stinnett grew up in Oklahoma very assimilated into American culture, yet still wanted to value his Lebanese roots despite the distance. In order to further explain his family lineage, Stinnett told the story of his great-grandparents, who emigrated to the US in order to avoid their respective arranged marriages after falling in love with each other. They settled in a large Lebanese community, the same one Stinnett grew up in. His family deeply valued education. Stinnett emphasized this by talking about his grandmother, who was a co-founder of the Department of Human Relations at Oklahoma University with Dr. George Henderson, the same department Stinnett would graduate with a bachelor’s degree from.
Stinnett, who clearly deeply values his family, shared that he is one of seven siblings, which he attributed to the beauty of opportunity and the
bravery that his great-grandparents had passed down to their children. His reasoning for sharing all of these personal stories is that he believes “culture is history through stories,” so a talk about the Arab-American experience would be incomplete without these testimonies.
The next big topic Stinnett covered was also introduced with a story. In one of his undergraduate classes, Henderson asked students to recall and share the first time they recognized their race. To Stinnett, that moment was 9/11. As an Arab-American child of seven, he could not possibly have understood everything that happened that day, but he was nevertheless impacted by the questions that followed him around after: Do you know any terrorists? Are you related to the terrorists?
After sharing his story in undergrad, Henderson challenged him. Why wouldn’t Stinnett just decide to be white? He “passed,” didn’t speak Arabic and could have reasonably shed this layer of his identity in exchange for peace. Stinnett, looking back on this moment, said that the question stumped him, but also motivated to think deeper about his race.
Eighty-five percent of Arab-Americans were born in the U.S. Many of them mark “Caucasian” on the census without any other specification because there is no answer option that accommodates them. Stinnett’s response to this data is that “unique culture does demand unique support” and Arab-Americans, unlike other groups, do not receive that support. They are told instead to assimilate and basically to just “figure it out” on their own.
“Arab-Americans are white when it benefits whiteness and oth-
ered when it benefits whiteness,” Stinnett said in the last part of his talk. He emphasized the importance of strong identity groups, something the Arab-American community has not been given the opportunity to create. Stinnett encouraged his audience to think about these dynamics more, and to do the work to dispel their own implicit biases. If everyone took the time to learn more about the people around them and accepted them for who they are beyond bias, Stinnett believes the Arab-American experience will no longer be erased.
Students React to New Men’s Basketball Head Coach
Evan Lombardo Staff Writer
“Villanova hires Kevin Willard as their new men’s basketball head coach. Are you happy, mixed or disappointed?” That is the question I set out to get answers to after the news broke that a new era in Villanova basketball was set to begin. Polling more than 100 Villanova students painted a striking picture of the overall mood on campus and attitudes on the future.
Of the more than 100 students polled, 70 (67%) of them responded with “happy,” 23 (22%) of them responded with “mixed,” 10 (9.6%) responded showing indifference and one student responded with “disappointed.”
A common theme among those polled was simply being glad to be out of the Neptune era. Many saw that alone as reason enough to be happy about the coaching change. While thoughts on Willard himself were cautious, with one student saying Willard was “overhyped,” the idea of change itself was seen as an opportunity for improvement.
The frustration of missing the NCAA tournament three years in a row is a palpable feeling among students.
“Seeing Kevin Willard as the new coach was definitely a breath of fresh air,” junior Mitchell Matella said. “Coming to Villanova in 2022, I did not expect to buy more schools than the number of March Madness tournaments we made it to. After this season of failure with Neptune, I am looking forward to a new chance with Willard.”
While a disappointing season can be disheartening for fans of a national team, collegiate teams have a greater sense of pressure since students will only have the experience of being both students and fans for a limited time. Indecisiveness in the face of disappointing results can quickly mount tensions among a team’s fan base. The general sentiment among Villanova students seems to agree with this. Many say they are happier that Neptune was fired than that Willard was hired, but Willard still presents a renewed possibility for success.
“I am really excited about this new hire. Having watched
Villanova and Big East basketball growing up, I also had a chance to follow Kevin Willard through our battles with Seton Hall,” senior Jack Bakey said. “I think with him at the helm we can expect to become a very strong defensive team that likes to push the pace during games.”
Junior Hayley Wilson agreed, describing her excitement and hope for this new era.
“I was so excited when I first found out Willard would be the new coach,” Wilson said. “I just remember feeling a surge of hope and optimism for the basketball program that I hadn’t felt in years. He built a great team with Maryland and I also realize that he has a lot of players and coaches that may follow him to Villanova so he can build a really good program here.”
While some are optimistic in the face of inevitable changes, other students noted the controversy surrounding Willard’s exit from Maryland.
“I’m very interested to see how Kevin Willard will be. From what I’ve seen, he seems to have a pretty good record, but he also has a bit of a reputation in Mary -
land,” junior Benny Caiola said. “I just hope he’s got a good attitude because that’s really central to this team.”
Maryland native and freshman Casey Bennet responded with a “mixed” reaction to Willard’s hire.
“I’d say that my fear with Villanova hiring Willard is that he will leave our program in a few years just like at Maryland, which could set us back even farther than we are now,” Bennet said. “He was a good coach at Maryland but when the team was playing at its best, he showed a lack of loyalty for his team, putting himself ahead of his players.”
While the future is uncertain, hitting the reset button seems to be a decision well-taken by the Villanova community.
“I expect Villanova basketball to look a little different than we are used to, but I also think that this change is coming at a perfect time,” Bakey said.
Whether or not the Kevin Willard era brings a much-needed rebound for Villanova men’s basketball, one thing is for sure: Villanova students will be going bananas one way or another.
Jeremiah Stinnett M.Ed. spoke to students in the Curley Exchange on April 3. Graydon Paul/Villanovan Photography
VillaVogue: Influencers Reshape the Fashion World
Ciara Dursee Co-Digital Editor
The rise of influencer culture in modern society has a prevalent impact on consumer trends. Individuals are now moving past celebrity images, and take inspiration from the influencers they adore. In recent years, influencers have broken barriers in reshaping the way brands connect with their audiences. They now carry an abundant power in the fashion industry as they are able to capture the attention of their following and promote any luxury brand they desire.
Sometimes unconsciously just by wearing a product and uploading a video, social media influencers promote the clothing brands they invest in. With a digital world evolving in front of us, we can see how these digital media promoters impact the trends around us and create a unique engagement with their followers and how it is linked to the rapidly expanding world of fashion.
Whether we like it or not, social media has helped advertise everything from belts to bows. A simple scroll through TikTok will have you brainstorming your next weekend outfit or casual attire for a day at the library. Obviously, we need to be cautious with how we take recommendations off of the icons we adore on social media. There’s a fine line between toxic consuming and taking style suggestions from our saved reels.
While influencers may bring unique and refreshing change to the
Scarlet Shafie Staff Writer
red carpet, some argue that their impact is no more than negatively brainwashing social media users. In this way, influencers have such an unintentional control over particular audiences, there is a risk of becoming too adaptive to the life of the influencer you look up to. They wield a considerable influence over social media audiences, there is no argument to that statement. However, they also have the ability to bring fresh perspectives to your screen.
An Easy Search: Type in a few words that hint at your desired video, link or photo and you arrive at your destination. The search bar is right at your fingertips, offering you a space where you ask for and explore whatever thoughts come to your mind and make your shopping experience easier. Yet, there’s more than just a simple search for an item of clothing. Find business casual outfit inspiration, spring trends to fix your attire
for class or even minimalistic basics to transcend your style to an entirely different vibe. The opportunities are unlimited.
Fresh Content: The beauty of social media influencer content is that it is constantly changing and offering new videos to attempt to gain traction to their feed. The digital world is about creative innovation. It is their job. Fashion influencers are quick to update on current trends, underrated brands and hidden gems in any outfit. This is an evolving, ongoing narrative shared on platforms individuals attract to and offers a great landscape for inspiration.
Wide Range of Preference: One of the standout features of influencer-driven fashion promotion is their ability to cater to a diverse audience. Influencers embrace their own preferences and there is an influencer out there offering something that resonates with your style.
I remember the first “influencer” I caught myself taking outfit advice from. Emma Chamberlain. Watching her videos daily during quarantine after I logged off online class became routine for me. I would sit in my bed with a bowl of oatmeal, an iced coffee and my laptop playing her most recent upload. I felt a connection to her and related to her life in a way that made me gravitate to her videos. Before I knew any better, I was wearing the Urban Outfitters fur coat she wore to city days in San Francisco and purchasing vans because she made them look so cute. I may cringe looking back now on past trends, yet this just goes to show the engaging connection Emma brought to me, an average teenage viewer.
Diversify Generalized Fashion Trends: Fashion trends used to be dictated by the brands that advertised new styles and designers who created the content. Now, trend creation is impacted by individual platforms, serving as a constant source for what’s hot in the market. With this, we are moving away from the ordinary generalized fashion trends where we are restricted to “high-end” fashion trends and choosing what to purchase based on what’s “in style.” This opens doors to a broader range of fashion that is personalized to your taste. For instance, minimalistic looks, thrifted finds, or vintage pieces coming back to play. There’s a new level of embracing self expression with the help of small designers and independent brands that are changing the reliance on mainstream fashion.
Poke Makes a Splash at Café Nova
As of late, dining on campus has undergone some drastic and widely celebrated changes. From the arrival of sushi rolls at Café Nova to the introduction of Smoothitas and a new Holy Grounds location on South Campus, the University’s dining landscape is evolving, and students are taking notice.
This Monday, Café Nova welcomed arguably the most positively received addition yet: poke bowls. Three delicious bowls are now available at Cova in Dougherty Hall for one meal swipe or a $9 charge. Each bowl includes a base of edamame, seaweed salad, cucumber, avocado, poke sauce and sushi rice. Diners can then choose tuna, salmon or tofu as their protein.
The response has been overwhelmingly positive.
“I love them,” freshman Lily Belcher said. “It looks small at first glance, but it’s actually quite filling.”
Belcher praised the variety of toppings, but also noted the potential for improvement, suggesting the addition of carrots and scallions.
Served in compact containers with secure lids, these bowls are designed for convenience and are ideal for students grabbing a quick bite between classes or bringing a meal to-go.
Poke joins a growing list of culturally diverse food options on campus, a shift that reflects a broader commitment to inclusivity and culinary variety. More than just a meal, the dish offers an opportunity to engage with global cuisine and traditions.
Originating in Hawaii, poke began as a simple dish of raw fish seasoned with salt and seaweed, prepared by native fishermen for sustenance. Over time, it evolved with Japanese influences, such as soy sauce and sesame oil. Ultimately, poke made its way around the globe, becoming a popular dish across the mainland United States and now, on Villanova’s campus.
The recent culinary changes at Villanova have not happened by chance. They are the result of intentional collaboration between Villanova’s Student Government Association (SGA) and Dining Services. Together, the two organizations have worked to ensure that student feedback plays a central role in shaping on-campus food offerings particularly in response to past concerns, recognizing a need for improvement.
“SGA works closely with Dining Services to advocate for and encourage student voices in the decision-making process,” freshman Elizabeth Howard, SGA Senator for the Class of 2028, said. “One example was a collaborative student survey conducted in anticipation of updates such as poke, boba and pop-up shops.”
Howard highlighted sur-
veying as a key part of this effort. By prioritizing student voices, we facilitate a more inclusive and satisfying dining culture. Through Dining Services’ “Txt&Tell” program, one can scan QR codes posted in dining locations to instantly share feedback. Whether people want to commend recent changes or suggest further improvements, students’ voices is a powerful tool in shaping the future of campus dining.
Dining Services is also active on Instagram, @villanovadining, where students can stay updated on new offerings and upcoming events. Before the upcoming break, the Napoletano
Brothers will return with their signature cheese wheel pasta, and Pitaya Foods will be making a stop on campus. After Easter Break, students can expect even more. Dining events include an Earth Day vendor fair, a Greek night in the dining halls and even an upcycling class, during which people can learn how to make coffee scrub. Being away from homecooked meals and spending long hours in the library can be tough, but food is fuel and Dining Services is making changes to meet evolving tastes and needs. Students are excited to see what is next for Villanova’s culinary future.
Emma Chamberlain is one example of an influencer whose fashion has garnered notice. Sophie Latessa/Villanovan Photography
Poke bowls are the newsest addition to Café Nova. Scarlet Shafie/Villanovan Photography
Senior Sentiments: The Checklist
Emma Cahill Former Co-EIC
Before my time at Villanova comes to a close, my mind is abuzz with several items on my to-do list. If you’re like me and feel overwhelmed by the immense task of saying goodbye to these four years, I’ve got you. Someone once told me that the best way to tackle something major is by taking it one step at a time. So, check out this perfectly curated senior “checklist” to help you grapple with your remaining time left on the Main Line.
The Tunes:
Add all the nostalgic songs that get you feeling like the main character in a coming-of-age movie to a playlist titled “Senior Year.” Some suggestions include the classic hits. “Dreams” by the Cranberries, “Scott Street” by Phoebe Bridgers and “Our House” by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. But don’t limit yourself to the standard sentimental tunes. Add songs that remind you of your freshman year dorm, your first night out at Villanova and your intramural championship win. The song “1979” by the Smashing Pumpkins reminds me of production nights at The Villanovan and “Secrets from a Girl” by Lorde reminds me of crisp autumn mornings walking to Tolentine. Both of these songs appear on my playlist. Beyond your mixtape, find your “Villanova anthem.” Long before I attended Villanova, my mom (a proud alum) deemed “Solsbury Hill” by Peter Gabriel the song that summed up her college years. Inspired by her, I urge all of us to find our Villanova anthem. Whether it’s a song that you scream-sing on Mug
Night at Kelly’s, something from a concert you went to in Philly or your walk-up song to your most difficult class, find a song that is a testament to your Villanova years. And later down the line, perhaps you’ll share that very song with your own kids.
The Grub:
The Bryn Mawr and Wayne food scene is teeming with Villanova fan favorites. Ordering your favorite takeout, which for me is the economical $15 deal at Vic’s Sushi, is a grounding ritual. Gather your friends and hit up your favorite dinner spots like Otto, Las Fridas and Dan Dan. Attached to some of these tried and true names are not only my favorite bites, but my favorite memories. The taste of an El Limon or Las Fridas quesadilla takes me back to freshman year dinners before watching March Madness, and the twirl of spaghetti on my plate at Otto or Fellini’s reminds me of many rowdy sorority fam dinners. But in addition to these favorites, don’t neglect to expand your palate. Embrace those joints that have always been on your dinner bucket list. I’m eager to try the Blue Elephant in Wayne, as well as Dua BYOB in Bryn Mawr.
The Attire:
No joke, my grad dress selection was taking up at least 50% of my
brain space before I made my final decision. I had 20 different tabs open in my computer at all times, much to the dismay of my laptop’s battery. To others who may look at my overwhelming Chrome tabs with trepidation, I must justify my valiant search by emphasizing the importance of looking your best on such a momentous day. It’s not an obsession. It’s dedication to the pursuit of stylishness. At the onset of my perusal, I viewed the trendiest dresses with high necks and bows. And while these looks were chic, they weren’t true to me. I ordered a white dress with a halter neck, because I know I love the way that cut of dress looks on me. After all, if college is all about finding yourself over four years, what better way to wrap it up than wearing a graduation outfit that perfectly represents you and what you feel good in?
Which leads me to my next point: These few weeks of college are one of the last times most of us can freely express ourselves without being shackled to the chains of business casual wear. It is important to take comfort in your favorite staple outfits. For me, this is my oversized black fleece and red baseball cap paired with yoga pants and my Hoka sneakers. But don’t be afraid to take creative risks, too. Wear that belt that has been
sitting in your closet for years, or that pair of overalls you love, but feel too intimidated to wear.
The Everyday:
No one wants to end college with regrets. In these remaining weeks, be bold and put yourself out there. It’s not too late. If you’re rendered sheepish by seemingly arbitrary things, don’t be. If it gives you any hope, I tried something new, having recently played in my first ever intramural basketball game, and I even made a basket. And spoiler alert: we ended up winning the championship. On your walk to class, don’t be afraid to compliment someone’s sweater, and smile at friends from class that you vaguely know. Although it’s intimidating, we all know that a random act of kindness is the best feeling, so why not spread positivity to leave your final mark on campus?
The End:
Make a plan for your lasts. Last class, last night at your college house, last sorority formal. The end can be scary, so instead, make it exciting. My roommates and I decided that we would spend the last night in our apartment sleeping on the couch and air mattresses in our sunroom– a final sleepover before we all live in different cities post-grad. Everyone’s college experience varies, so find an ending ritual that is authentically you. When considering “the end,” maybe don’t think about it too much. While being mindful is important, be present and enjoy what you have while you have it. These next few weeks won’t be perfect. Nothing ever is. So while avoiding putting this spring on a pedestal, I will say that we are all given an opportunity that we likely will never have again. Ground yourself in your friends, your community and reflect on the person you’ve become– and commence the last step: to enjoy.
Rebranding The ‘Cool Girl’ Epidemic
Lauren Armstrong Associate EIC
‘Cool girl’ is a lifestyle and phrase that has always been around, but has spiked in popularity over the past decade. In 2014, the movie adaptation of Gone Girl coined this term in reference to character Amy Dunne, and in the years since, the longing to appear and act as a ‘cool girl’ has been transformed into the standard for girls around the world.
The idea behind the ‘cool girl’ is to be attractive without trying too hard, to be fun but not overly dramatic. To be perfect, effortlessly.
Appearing perfect is quite the opposite, and girls will spend hours trying to accomplish the no-makeup makeup look, find the perfect blend of messy and clean hairstyles and revamp their wardrobes to appease the eyes of others, most often, the male gaze.
So, what is the issue with the ‘cool girl’ epidemic you may ask? It is often performative and presented for the wrong reasons. It encourages women to suppress and alter their true selves to gain approval from others, making strong opinions and emotions seem unattractive.
So I say it is time to switch the
narrative. I believe it is time for the girls to recoin the phrase ‘cool girl,’ and alter it to appease us, not other girls and not men; we shouldn’t have to seek approval from anyone other than ourselves.
Here is how we can do this.
One: Doing things for you.
While this may seem like an obvious start, it is oftentimes overlooked when worrying about how others perceive us. I call on us all to feel our emotions, and make decisions based on them. If you like a sweater, wear it. Even if you don’t think the kid who sits across from you in class will like it. He is not the one wearing it, so he should not be who you are dressing to impress.
Two: Caring about politics.
The past year has been filled with politics and policy making news. And it is cool to know what you are talking about and witnessing happen. Politics will never go away, and it will always be in style to be informed, to vote and to care about the future of democracy.
Three: Posting what brings you joy.
If you are on Instagram or TikTok and your first thought when crafting a post is what others will think, you are doing it wrong. When making the switch to post for yourself, you open the door for happiness to radiate from your feed. Posting pic-
tures and videos that make you happy will reflect to those who see them, and they will feel the authenticity radiating through the phone.
Four: Caring about school. You may be thinking: school is lame and boring. But is it? We go to Villanova, which clearly showcases that every one of us is smart and capable, so why let it go to waste? Pick up your pen, turn on some background music and get to work. With just a month left in the school year, now is the time to lock in and finish strong. What is cooler than having a good GPA, which will help you land a job post-grad or get into the graduate program of your dreams? It is time to stop pretending like your aspirations are not cool, because they help make you who you are.
Five: Surrounding yourself with
people who love you, for you. When considering who you spend time with, look deeper than who will boost your status or who others perceive to be cool. Surround yourself with people who feel like a warm hug. Who you can spend hours with and it will only feel like minutes. Who understand and love you for you. Friendships can be hard, and we are at an age where feelings are complex and oftentimes people have the wrong intentions when trying to form bonds with others. Finding the right people might take time, but it is worth every second.
So let’s go girls, let’s rebrand and rebuild the societal structures surrounding what it means to be a cool girl. Because, at the end of the day, we are all cool girls, and we do not need others determining that for us.
The sun is setting on seniors’ final semester, so it is time to make these final weeks count. Gabi Frank/Villanovan Photography
Girls, it’s cool to care about politics. Maggie Fitzgerald/Villanovan Photography
Love On Lancaster: Is This Going Anywhere?
Maggie Fitzgerald Co-Culture Editor
It is 2025. As a society we have moved past the days of in-person courtship or correspondence via love letters. Those were simpler times. There is no use in looking back. Now, in addition to navigating your own romantic feelings, a necessary element of dating is deciphering the complex world of social media communication. What does it mean that your new love interest only makes contact via Snapchat pictures? Is it a positive sign that your crush is sending you TikToks? What could a Spotify follow possibly mean? If you’re struggling in this area of social media proficiency, worry not. You are likely not alone. It is a burden our generation has been forced to carry. Let’s lighten the load, shall we?
For those of you currently in a situationship, unclear of where you stand or whether this thing is going anywhere at all, deciphering your social media exchanges can help ease some of the confusion. This week, we are going to break down some of the major media platforms and what romantic correspondence in these channels indicates. Spoiler alert: this could be upsetting. Another spoiler, if there is no communication besides in your imagination, it’s going nowhere. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but some things just have to be said.
Snapchat
If your only correspondence is Snapchat, run. Ladies and gentle-
Korin Kohen Staff Writer
On Tuesday evening, the St. Rita Community Room was transformed into a cozy and welcoming retreat as undergraduate women joined for an event held by Villanova’s Peer Ministers. The space was thoughtfully organized to encourage relaxation, as soft cushions and pillows were arranged into scattered circles around the floor. The ambiance was warm and gentle, with fairy lights hanging around the room and a faux fireplace playing in the background.
Before the panelists took over, women from all different years mingled with Shirley temples and Hope’s cookies in hand. As the crowd began to settle, senior Peggy Murray introduced herself and the accompanying upperclassmen who would be sharing their experience as undergraduate women at Villanova. Murray began with a simple question: “If there was one word to describe your biggest freshman year insecurity, what would it be?” The words “comparison,” “identity” and “fitting-in” were all thrown out, setting the tone for an honest and relatable discussion.
One junior panelist, Emma Spagnola, expanded on her initial two weeks at Villanova, explaining the loneliness and desperation she had felt. She spoke candidly about being away from home and adjusting to an entirely new environment. Spagnola went on to share a turning point in her journey–joining Villanova’s club running.
“It was the best move I
men, we are in college. Unless you are a high schooler accidentally reading The Villanovan, there is absolutely no hope if you are stuck in the Snapchat stage. And no, occasional chats are not an exception. Snapchat is so 2016. Text once in a while, please. In all seriousness, if you are hoping to exit the dreaded situationship era and forge a more meaningful connection, pursue other modes of communication. While Snapchatting in addition to more adult, mature, sophisticated, real, grown, cultured, appropriate, meaningful (need I go on?) social media platforms is acceptable, a Snapchat every four hours is not a good sign. Deep down you must know this.
Instagram DM
By itself, Instagram DMing does not scream relationship and commitment, but if it is supplemented with iMessage, it perhaps indicates a more promising future. Personally, sending hilarious Instagram memes is a gift I bestow upon only my dearest of companions. It means something
that I saw a reel and thought of you, so take it for the compliment it is. A good old Instagram DM exchange can suggest that there is humor, depth and maybe even a real connection between you and your situationship. If they start sending you posts with cool restaurant recommendations, they are most likely the one. Another potential Instagram activity that could give you some much-needed clarity is mentally noting their likes. The eyes are no longer a window to the soul, this is reserved for Instagram likes.
Spotify/Apple Music
Not to jump to conclusions, but this is incredibly promising. Even I am excited for the possibility of your lifetime partnership. Let me put this in simple terms: if they are sending you songs, following you on Spotify or lurking in your Apple Music playlists, this is no longer a situationship. Music is deeply personal, and correspondence via these outlets suggests not only a willingness to open up, but a desire to get to know you for who you
Peer Ministers Host Girls Night
made,” Spagnola said. “It gave me so many great people and experiences that made campus start to feel like home.”
Other panelists echoed similar sentiments, speaking to the pressures of finding their identity and a community in what initially felt like a foreign setting. One junior, Sofia Krzewicki, recalled the emotional complexity of balancing old and new relationships once coming to college.
“It was hard to decipher which people were healthy and good for me,” she said. “Some friendships that had been core to me for years started to feel more toxic than supportive, and I didn’t know how to navigate that.”
Krzewicki’s voice is just one among many, reflecting a common but unspoken feeling that countless students try to work through. She emphasized the importance in acknowledging that change and growth is necessary, which naturally evokes uncomfortable situations. Her vulnerability touched the room, allowing the director of Peer Ministry, Meghan Dietzler, to seamlessly segue into a collective moment of reflection. The event then shifted into small groups, with one panelist leading each discussion. Participants were encouraged to think deeply about their own encounters as undergraduate women—the moments of doubt and insecurity while also clarity and resilience. Each bubble discussed different wellness behaviors that have been helpful to practice, allowing women to offer guidance and advice to their peers.
Senior Katie Tuberosa
really are. Horrible music taste and all. Words of caution, if you get a follow notification from Spotify, consider hiding your numerous playlists about heartbreak and being alone forever.
Text Message
Ah, the best for last. As discussed, in a world where you can transport wordless pictures of your face across the globe in seconds, real conversation is oftentimes forsaken. Let’s bring conversing back. Let’s make structured dialogue cool again. Let’s demand the respect of being asked for our number, not our Snapchat. Standards are all the rage. A situationship flourishing over text means something, maybe not everything, but something. The additional effort that goes into keeping an iMessage conversation alive and engaging is an indication of true romantic intentions. If you are struggling to escape the cycle of Snapchat streaks, consider trying this often forgotten and underrated form of communication for a more promising future.
Now that we’ve decoded some of the confusing social media gargle, go forth with open eyes and see your situationships for what they truly are: destined for doom or potentially prosperous. At the end of the day, not all apps are created equal. Growing up in the 21st century requires proficiency regarding the ins and outs of such platforms, and this is a responsibility one must take seriously. That is, if they don’t wish to remain single forever.
With love.
touched on a similar experience to panelist Emma Spagnola and said she found comfort in joining Villanova’s Pastorals. Being able to express herself “creatively and artistically” has been an outlet that is true to her personal values. Others in the group mentioned being outside, staying active, talking with others and attending events such as Girls Night. As the conversation unfolded, it was clear that there are powerful threads connecting each woman regardless of their stories not being identical.
“I think we put so much pressure on ourselves to be secure in our path but that is not realistic,” sophomore Mia Cichon said.
For many, this event offered
a rare pause in the constant overthinking and dwelling that often fills the minds of young women. It was uplifting to see a group of college students express their imperfections and engage in honest dialogue without fear of judgement. Students lingered even after the event officially ended, continuing their deep conversations and new connections. The guidance from the upperclassmen students empowered others to share their own feelings and hopefully inspired them to partake in similar activities in the future. In just over an hour, the St. Rita Community Room became an area for openness and thoughtfulness, removing any fear of talking about such topics.
One thing’s for sure, don’t be expecting a love letter any time soon. Maggie Fitzgerald/Villanovan Photography
Villanova Peer Minister’s hosted a successful and cozy Girl’s Night last Tuesday. Korin Kohen/Villanovan Photography
The Noise of Nova Nation
Marco Kelly Staff Writer
When one looks around campus, it is evident that many students walk to class, study, exercise and live life listening to music. So, how does music play an impactful part in student life? Let’s explore how the music preferences of Villanova students play a role in social life and personal identity. Different songs can define our life experiences, and everyone’s taste in music is individual.
Sophomore Charles Secenzio was asked what song has defined his time at Villanova so far.
“The World Is Yours’ by Nas because the song tells me I can accomplish anything I want to, the world is mine and I just felt that being at Villanova gives me that same ability. Villanova is mine,” Secenzio said.
Asking students around campus, it seems that many liked to listen to pop, rap, country and house music, with popular artists like Taylor Swift, Noah Kahan, It’s Murph and A$AP Rocky. Many are especially prone to listening to music while doing schoolwork. However, the different levels of noise on the different floors of the library mean students opt for different music choices.
“I enjoy listening to Minecraft music by c418 [when doing my work] because there are no lyrics, just sound, so it helps me lock into a flow state,” junior Keaton Monaghan, who enjoys working on the fourth floor, said.
As the floors of the library
get progressively louder as one goes down, more and more students are found listening to music through their headphones.
“I really like listening to Future when doing my work, but sometimes I get carried away by his music,” freshman Mathew Brown said of working on the third floor.
Though music can sometimes be distracting while students are trying to be productive, it can also keep them going and help them focus.
“Right now, I’m listening to ‘Let It Happen’ by Tame Impala,” sophomore Haligh Garindale said of writing a paper on the second floor of Falvey. “It’s just something about the beat of the music that drives me forward.”
Senior Lilah Shea echoed this sentiment, saying music got her through her midterms studying.
“During midterms, I was actually so stressed out with my exams, and an outlet I found to help me destress was just tuning out and listening to UK house music,” Shea said.
Davis Fitness Center also boasts many students with headphones listening to their music of choice. Students often choose more upbeat music to motivate them when exercising.Sophomore Fiona Ryan felt that a good beat was crucial for a stroll on the treadmill.
“Honestly, I’ve been listening to a lot of house music,” Ryan said. “Specifically, It’s Murph, I love those good beats.”
Music taste paints a picture that we can only hear. From our lowest lows to our highest highs, we listen to music. In all its unexpected twists and turns, music can bring people together.
“I did [bond with someone over music], actually, back in high school,” freshman Michael Gerrow said. “I started dating my now ex-boyfriend because we both loved listening to a band called Weezer.”
Music can also define important moments and changes in people’s lives, and music preferences can change based on our environment.
Student Aton Skorvos spoke of the shift in his music choices since his transfer from Penn State.
“[My music taste] has [changed] a little bit,” Skorvos said. “Up in Happy Valley, I listened to a lot of Zach Bryan and country music, and very rarely would I listen to EDM or anything like that but now I’ll find myself headbanging to knock2 in the gym.”
International students bring bits and pieces of their culture here to Villanova, allowing our campus to expand and grow in diversity. This culture can often come in the form of music.
“At first, when I played some music from back home in my dorm, my roommate had no idea what he was listening to, but after a couple more songs, he told me to send him my playlist because the music was the heat,” sophomore Dylan Torbay, an international student from Kenya, said.
Music can be the juice for the soul, amplifying our emotions. It’s there to comfort us when we are down. But what music helps students destress and unwind?
“[At the end of a busy day], I’ll kick back and chill, listening to some Slightly Stoopid, I love the atmosphere they create,” junior Greg Norvidka said.
How will the future of music shape Villanova? With time, people change, and so will their tastes in music, and there is surely a wide variety of music ingrained in our culture here at Villanova.
To: Me, Love: Me – A Life in Voice Memos
Leah Smith Staff Writer
This past Wednesday afternoon, in a particularly overwhelming combination of procrastination and boredom, I opened my voice memo application. Yes, that’s what two-tailed independent sample t-tests can drive a perfectly sane person to do. At my ripe age of 20 (21 this month), I have not yet reached most of life’s happiest, most gut-wrenching, proudest, scariest or even traumatizing moments. But luckily, I’ve always had a flair for the dramatics, romanticizing the tiniest moments and documenting, okay wallowing, in my big girl feelings whenever it seems fit. Where do I do it? On my iPhone, of course.
As a self-prescribed perfectionist, journaling has never worked well for me. I’d catch myself re-reading sentences, changing adjectives and using complex sentence structures when I was supposed to be focusing on emotional regulation. The persistent young woman that I am, this has resulted in stacks of abandoned leather-bound journals piled on shelves and jammed into desk drawers throughout my turbulent teenage years.
But the benefits of journaling are hard to ignore, especially for those of us with bad memories. Yes, even at 20. Journaling is linked to tons of mental and physical health benefits. Studies show it reduces stress by lowering cortisol levels and improving immune function. Psychologically, it helps us process emotions, boosts memory and comprehension and can
lessen symptoms of anxiety and depression by creating a sense of control and self-awareness.
If you sympathize with my trials and tribulations journaling, I introduce you to a 21st-century solution. When the spirit moves you, find a quiet moment of reflection on the Voice Memo application. Say hey to future you, or whoever you think is listening and speak freely. I find it helpful to think of my entries as “check-ins” from me, to me. There are no rules for this part. Vent, preach, cry, spill a secret, scream, tell a knock-knock joke.
I have been memo-ing for almost a year now, and my entries range from two to four minutes every few months. Try to be selective with the moments and themes of each entry. Keep this outlet a sacred space for reflection. One tip: don’t re-record. Whatever you say, just keep talking no matter how many times you stutter or say “like.” When you’re done, shut off your phone and try not to play it back just yet. Shove the voice memo in your closet like that last sweater that doesn’t really fit but you couldn’t live without
The app displays a listing of entries named by the address where they were recorded, followed by the date and their duration. Find comfort in knowing you can listen to your past self in your highest and lowest moments. The app will quietly collect your chaos, clarity and everything in between, waiting patiently until you’re ready to listen.
Listening to an old voice memo is best compared to getting back a test that you have no idea
whether you aced or failed. You’re holding it in your hand, it almost feels hot. A voice inside your head tells you to throw the paper in the recycling bin and never look back, but then, before you can stop yourself, you turn the paper over and meet your destiny. It is healing to know that you can get through the low times and that there have been good times that will come again. If there’s anyone you can trust when you’re down, it’s
yourself. If you are a sentimental soul like me, it’s probably crossed your mind that at 80, with your holographic cat curled up beside you, these entries contain every version of yourself you’ve ever been. That’s the magic. To hear your 20-year-old self giggle, the concern in your voice at 30 and the calm at 50. Maybe you’ll cringe. Maybe you’ll smile. It doesn’t matter. I just think it would be cool.
Get to know your peers! What are they listening to? Maggie Fitzgerald/Villanovan Photography
Recently enjoy a romantic coffee date? Take out your voice memos and tell your future self! Maggie Fitzgerald/Villanovan Photograpjy
Italy: A Study Abroad Visa Debacle
Sophie Cossio Staff Writer
If you didn’t receive an email from IES Abroad last week regarding your Italy study-abroad placement, count yourself lucky as many Rome and Sienna programs have been shortened to 90 days, instead of the usual four months. Many students have been left confused by this abrupt change, as the reasoning behind this move was to avoid the hassle of applying for an Italian visa, due to new requirements by the Italian government.
As of Jan. 11, the Italian government has implemented new biometric requirements for all visas, along with other regulations that significantly increase the complexity and time of the application process. Students now must apply in person at their local consulate, which may prove difficult for some, due to time and distance restrictions. Many students at Villanova live closest to the New York consulate, which is notoriously difficult to apply for a visa from due to delays and disorganization. This leaves their next closest consulate, presumably the one in Philadelphia. If the application process stretches over the summer, students could be forced to make the trek back down to Philadelphia again to fulfill these new requirements, which is inconvenient, expensive and time consuming.
Due to these new biometric
Alex Pultz Staff Writer
regulations, such as fingerprinting, the Italian consulate can also no longer batch process applications, meaning that it will take longer than ever to undergo the visa process for students. In response to these new regulations, many schools have taken the initiative to shorten some of their programs, including IES Abroad and Arcadia Abroad, two very popular program facilitators. This new policy is somewhat understandable, although frustrating. For students who choose to go ahead with the condensed program, they will only
be allowed to stay in the Schengen area, consisting of the countries currently in the European Union, for 90 days. Additionally, they are prohibited from travelling anywhere in the Schengen area for 90 days prior to the trip, as well as after.
These new requirements have directly affected my study abroad experience as an upcoming student, as my Rome program is one of those affected by these new regulations. I applied for the WFI Rome Internship program back in February, which allows accepted
students to intern at either IFAD, an agency apart of the United Nations, RomeReports, or an agency part of the Vatican in a few select communications fields, while taking a few classes at the IES Abroad campus in Rome. Therefore, when I first received the email, I was confused. My program has the added complication of an internship, and I had no idea what that meant for my ability to study abroad next semester. I also didn’t have any real understanding of the visa application process. Honestly, I thought if I tried to get a visa and was successful, perhaps they would let me continue with my original semester-long course.
I have dual citizenship in the UK (which would have solved all my problems before Brexit), and thought that maybe applying with my British passport would help. (Spoiler alert: it didn’t). Fortunately, after talking with my advisor and other friends in the same boat, I realized that my internship wouldn’t be affected by this change in plans, and so I am still planning to study abroad in Rome this fall.
For others who were sent this email and panicked, don’t worry. Be sure to contact your study abroad advisor for additional information and clarification, but I think there is at least one benefit to this shortened program that may not be initially obvious. We do get a few extra weeks off for our winter break, after all.
Shelf Care: Not So Scary Nonfiction
Try a self-help book to inspire change and new perspectives in your life.
Non-Fiction Narratives
Nonfiction is the genre that scares off most readers. Often associated with research and facts, in reality, nonfiction is just as, or even more, engaging than fiction. There are different sub categories of nonfiction to explore, creating ample opportunity to find a suitable kind.
Memoirs
I love a good memoir. It took me a few years to discover just how captivating they could be. In high school, I read Minka Kelly’s book Tell Me Everything and was surprised with how enjoyable the experience proved. A memoir is the perfect way to ease into non-fiction and adjust to a different genre. Many actors, authors and historians have published memoirs, and there’s something for everyone. Find one that interests you and dive in.
Self-Help
Self-help books aren’t typically my go-to, but social media is abuzz with talk about Mel Robbins and her “Let Them Theory” theory featured on her podcast and book. Many of my friends have raved about her book The Let Them Theory and shared the great advice they’ve gained from reading. I decided to give her book a try and was pleasantly surprised. I think that all college students should give it a whirl and allow Mel Robbins to completely transform their thoughts and actions.
The best non-fiction books are ones that feel like fiction. Yes, that sounds contradictory, but if you’re new to non-fiction, it’s a great way to learn something in a story. Good examples of this are true crime novels or historical accounts. A book that blends both together is The Art Thief by Michael Finkel. This fascinating true story reads as a crime novel about stolen art in the late 90s. The Art Thief was fast paced and addicting, a great gateway for non-fiction.
Biographies
I know the word “biography” can sound a bit daunting, almost like it’s taking you back to high school social studies class, but the right ones can be fascinating. If there’s a person, event or time period that interests you, there is probably a biography about it. My next read is Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy , which just happens to be a biography. Finding a biography that aligns with your interests can make reading non-fiction easier and more enjoyable.
Essay Collections
Essay collections have grown in popularity in the last 10 years or so. If you enjoy short stories or pieces of The New Yorker, give essay collections a try. These collections are easy and fast paced, often changing the topic or subject with each essay. My personal
favorite collections are Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino and My Body by Emily Ratajowski. These collections are often deeply personal and offer a different approach to non-fiction, allowing you to read someone’s thoughts in a more candid way.
Villanova students planning on studying abroad in Italy are scrambling to secure Visas. Maggie Fitzgerald/Villanovan Photography
Forego the safety of realistic fiction and branch out with a riveting biography. Alex Pultz/Villanovan Photography
Kevin Willard Fast Facts: Get to Know Nova’s New Coach
Sophie Latessa Co-Culture Editor
There’s an excited buzz around campus, all centering around one name: Kevin Willard. But how much do we really know about Kyle Neptune’s promising successor? Look no further than this top 10 list of fun facts, your one-stop guide to everything you need to know about new men’s basketball Head Coach Kevin Willard.
1. Willard was born and raised in Huntington, N.Y. on Long Island, but went to high school in Kentucky.
2. He spent his freshman year of college at Western Kentucky and then transferred to and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh.
3. He played point guard at both schools coached by his father, Ralph.
4. He started his coaching career as an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics with Rick Pitino. After four years, he followed Pitino to
the University of Louisville.
5. His first head coaching job was at Iona, transitioning to Seton Hall three years later and the University of Maryland 12 years after that.
6. During Willard’s 12 years at Seton Hall, he faced Jay Wright and Villanova 25 times. He and Wright are good friends, and Willard spoke to Wright on the phone before accepting the Head Coach position.
7. He is well recognized for his coaching: he won the Big East Coach of the Year with Seton Hall in the 2015-2016 season and in 2017, he was one of Forbes Top 10 NCAA Basketball Coaches for the Next 10 Years.
8. He has made the NCAA tournament seven times.
9. Willard and his wife Julie have two sons, Colin, who is 18, and Chase, who is 16.
10. He is the tenth Men’s Bas -
ketball Head Coach in Villanova history.
Time to get to know the new face of Villanova basketball. Maggie Fitzgerald/Villanovan Photography
SPORTS
Wildcat Watch: Mawutor Fiavey, “Will D. Cat” Mascot
Amanda McKean Sports Columnist
As the basketball season comes to a close and spring sports celebrate seniors, there’s one standout who deserves recognition, even if most don’t know his name.
Behind the oversized Wildcat head and the signature Villanova blue eyes of Will D. Cat is senior pre-dental student Mawutor Fiavey. After three years, Fiavey is finally ready to step into the spotlight and reveal his identity.
Though there is only one Will D. Cat costume, a team of students takes turns wearing the suit and performing at Villanova sports games and campus events.
Fiavey decided to give it a shot as a sophomore after watching Villanova reach the Final Four in the men’s tournament.
“I remember I saw posters for the Will D. Cat tryout around Bartley, around the library [and] even in the Davis Center when I was at the gym,” Fiavey said. “And I was like, ‘Alright, let me go to the info session.’ It was packed to the brim. I didn’t think I was going to get it, just because there were a lot of people.”
With the large showings each year at Will D. Cat tryouts, the process of joining the team is selective. The first round of tryouts consists of an informal interview, during which prospects have to present a 30-second sketch
showing off their dance moves and improv skills.
If they make it through the first round, they then move onto a trial run, in which they get to put the suit on and walk around campus, while being evaluated on their interactions with others.
“I think I just did, like, random dances, because I just didn’t really know what to do,” Fiavey said, recalling tryouts. “They liked me enough. Round two tryouts consisted of me walking around in Connelly Center with the whole suit, just interacting with people while two seniors were watching me interact with people.”
Fiavey’s role involves more than playful dances and waving to fans. It requires serious training. Will D. Cat is often front and center with cheerleaders. He performs challenging stunts, such as the “world pyramid,” where cheerleaders balance on his shoulders.
To develop the strength and skills needed for the job, team members attend mascot camp each summer, training alongside mascots from other universities and even professional sports teams across the country.
“It’s an interesting time,” Fiavey said. “‘Interesting’ is the best word to describe it, but I feel like I’ve learned a good amount of skills from camp. I’ve met a lot of friends, and even my best friend from camp, as well.”
The mascot camp allowed Fiavey to connect with his team members and other mascots while developing the skills to portray an energetic and athletic Will D. Cat.
“It’s just, like, a team bonding moment, because you’re in this sweaty room for hours on hours,” Fiavey said. “Just mascotting and perfecting your skills while you’re being judged by different coaches that mascot’ed professionally. Who
would have thought that sweating so much was bringing teammates closer together?”
Despite all the sweat and effort that goes into performing as Will D. Cat, the role comes with plenty of rewards: most notably, the joy Fiavey brings to every Villanova event and to everyone he meets on the job.
“It’s just an honor and a privilege to get to inspire a lot of kids out there with every high five that I give them,” Fiavey said. “I have a lot of kids come up to me for autographs. I’ve met so many different types of people at games and events. I’m just glad that I’m able to put a smile on someone’s face, whether you’re a kid, whether you’re a pre-teen, a teen, an adult, a grown-up or the elderly.”
With the cheer season coming to an end soon, tryouts to be Will D. Cat are approaching. As of now, an official date has not been set, but tryouts will take place in April. Information on tryouts can be found on the Villanova Cheer webpage and Instagram account.
“Don’t knock it ‘til you try it,” Fiavey said. “In all honesty, I never thought I’d be a mascot. But you learn so that you could even apply it to your everyday life. You’re more personable. You get to interact with different age groups, and you feel comfortable with that because you’re already comfortable being in a hot and sweaty suit and doing the same thing.”
Willard Brings New Faces And New Energy To Program
Katie Lewis Co-Sports Editor
After a whirlwind cross-country trip, new men’s basketball head coach Kevin Willard held a press conference over Zoom last Wednesday, April 2.
On March 31, he flew to Indianapolis, IN to watch the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) semifinal between Villanova and Belmont.
The next day, Willard jetted off to Las Vegas, NV for the men’s College Basketball Crown Tournament quarterfinal between Villanova and the University of Southern California.
By Wednesday, Willard was back on Villanova’s campus, facing the press and readying himself to take over for interim head coach Mike Nardi, who filled in for former coach Kyle Neptune.
But Willard had already begun his work for the program: showing face in Indianapolis, talking to donors in Vegas and starting transfer portal action were all part of his top priorities as Villanova’s newest head coach.
Based on his actions in his first two weeks on the job, Willard seeks to be a dynamic, future-focused and public coach.
While Willard will meet with reporters in-person on Wednesday, April 9, he provided
early insights on his priorities at Villanova during his first official press conference.
“The simple message is, I’m gonna embrace the Villanova community and embrace the Villanova way,” Willard said. “I’m excited to join that community and join that culture. From a basketball standpoint, we’re gonna get back to building on what Kyle [Neptune] and his staff had done. Get everyone excited again, and get everyone engaged again.”
Some of the products of Willard’s initial moves were revealed through the several player commitments and coaching staff decisions announced on Monday, April 7.
Incoming four-star recruit Chris Jeffrey decommitted from Maryland, announcing his decision to attend Villanova instead. Shortly after Jeffrey’s announcement, rising sophomore guard Malachi Palmer transferred out of Maryland, following Willard to the Main Line.
As for the bench, Willard brought over his squad of assistant coaches: David Cox, Kevin Norris and Greg Manning Jr. The only Villanova assistant he retained is Ashley Howard. The shake-up at Villanova involves the departure of Nardi and former assistant coaches Dwayne Anderson II and Jamie Young. Meanwhile, Maryland fans
continue to express outrage over the way that Willard’s own exit unfolded. Resentful Terrapins, and notably ESPN analyst Jay Bilas, accused Willard of lacking loyalty and transparency.
After Maryland’s Sweet Sixteen loss this season, Willard chose not to accept a massive, close to six-million-dollar contract extension from Maryland.
“Normal fans just don’t understand what went on,” Willard said last Wednesday. “The timeline, no one knows it. No one understands it. I can’t change that, and I’m not worried about that. Maryland just got a great coach in Buzz [Williams], and I’m really happy for them…I just think it’s time that everyone moves on.”
“Moving on” is the best path to success for Willard. He has a new fanbase to rally, new donors to impress and a new program to run, which makes dwelling on the controversy around his hiring a distraction from the serious work that lies ahead of him.
Willard did acknowledge some accountability for his comments during the tense press conferences of Maryland’s Sweet Sixteen run, while rumors circulated of his leaving the program. He criticized Maryland for its limited funding and Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities for players.
“Unfortunately, sometimes
my passion for my program and my passion for my players comes out,” Willard said, framing his comments in retrospect.
Willard encounters a Villanova that is feeling deflated from three years without an NCAA Tournament appearance. In that sense, an extremely passionate leader, and one who covets a generous NIL cache, may be exactly what ‘Nova Nation needs.
Willard is eager to embrace the future, both in regards to NIL and to establishing the next generation of Villanova greats. While some coaches plan to rotate oneyear grad transfers every season, Willard said he’s still committed to recruiting and developing underclassmen. Villanova has already seen that in its young new commits, Jeffrey and Palmer.
“I think the portal is going to shrink dramatically in the next couple of years,” Willard said. “So, I think it’s really important to develop young young men. I think that’s our job as college coaches. I enjoy that aspect of coaching more than anything…It’s very hard just to bring transfers in every year and keep a culture that you want to work.”
This week’s House v. NCAA settlement raises myriad questions about what the future of the program will look like. Willard has wasted no time in getting his new responsibilities under way,
Senior Mawutor Fiavey has been “Will D. Cat” at Villanova sports events since his sophomore year. Courtesy of Mawutor Fiavey
Wildcats Set Personal Bests at Sam Howell Invitational
Genna Cottingham Staff Writer
On Friday, April 4, the Villanova men’s and women’s track and field teams competed at Weaver Stadium in Princeton, NJ.
Schools also in attendance at the Sam Howell Invitational, hosted by Princeton University, included Temple, LaSalle, Rider, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Monroe University.
Sixth-year Adria Retter highlighted the meet with a first place finish in the discus throw. Other Wildcats made debuts and set personal records in their respective events, including senior Taylor Woodeshick. She set a new personal best in the high jump, clearing the bar on her first attempt at 1.63 meters.
“Overall, it was a kind of a general opportunity for some of the kids that didn’t go to Raleigh [last weekend] to be able to compete at Princeton,” men’s head coach Marcus O’Sullivan said.
Retter’s 49.4-meter performance in the discus throw picked up Villanova’s only first-place finish of the weekend. Earlier this season, she set the second-longest discus throw in program history, on March 23 at the Penn Challenge.
Sophomore Gina Smith pulled off a personal best in the triple jump, finishing third with a jump of 11.42 meters. Smith fell
just one centimeter shy of climbing into Villanova’s all-time outdoor top 10 list. She currently sits in sixth on this season’s Big East performance list.
Woodeshick and senior Alex Payne both secured second place in their respective events. Payne threw for 51.3 meters in her specialty of the hammer event, improving from her performance last weekend in Raleigh, NC.
As for the men, freshman Kai Mitchell-Reiss made his collegiate debut in the steeplechase, running a time of 9:18.67 to achieve a ninth-place finish.
Redshirt freshman Brian Theobold earned a personal best in the 1500-meter race. He finished in 13th place with a time of 3:52.69, achieving a personal best for the second meet in a row.
Sophomore Jonathan Evans managed to land not one, but two personal bests in Princeton this past weekend. Evans acquired a career best of 40.65 meters in the hammer throw, and a personal best in the discus, with a throw of 38.66 meters. Evans’ former hammer throw personal best was 38 meters, set at the Penn Challenge on March 23.
The men’s 4x400-meter relay earned second place with a time of 3:12.82. The team is made up of sophomores Ethan Walls and Matthew Griffin and juniors Luke Rakowitz Jr. and Jimmy Milgie.
“It’s very important be -
cause a lot of these kids will be at conferences in a few weeks, and so whilst they may not travel to the bigger meets, it’s important to make sure that they’re developing, and the performances are getting better, and they’re getting opportunities to compete,” O’Sullivan said.
Two women’s distance runners recorded stellar times in the 1500-meter race. Senior Emma McGill had a time of 4:23.09 to earn second place. Junior Kinsey Pogue ran a personal best 4:44.24.
Villanova track and field will split up to compete in North Carolina and Virginia next week.
“From a men’s standpoint, we’re off this weekend,” O’Sullivan said. “Some of the distance people next week will go to Wake Forest. So there’ll be a small divide next week. You’ll have a large group going to the University of Virginia, and then you’ll have a small group going to Wake for us.”
Several members of the men’s team will compete in the Wake Forest Invitational, alongside the best collegiate athletes in the country. The meet is a two-day competition in Winston-Salem that begins with the women’s pole vault at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 17.
Starting on Friday, April 18, both the men’s and women’s teams will compete in the Virginia Challenge, another two-day meet. Both competitions can be broadcast live on FloTrack.
Jenkins Sues NCAA Over NIL Compensation
Dylan Johnson Co-Sports Editor
Nine years after Villanova’s 2016 national championship, former wildcat Kris Jenkins is suing the NCAA and six major conferences.
Jenkins’ lawsuit includes the Big East Conference, for withholding specific amounts of athlete pay and his ability to make money off his Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) during his time in college.
Jenkins is known for his famous buzzer-beater three-pointer, deemed “The Shot,” which lifted Villanova past North Carolina to win the program’s second national championship.
However, at the time, student-athletes were not allowed to be compensated for the use of their NIL, unlike players now. Today, in some cases, a single student-athlete can make over seven figures in a single season.
Jenkins filed the antitrust lawsuit in the Southern District of New York last week.
In additional to the NCAA, the lawsuit names all Power Five conferences, which include the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Power Five conferences named in Jenkins’ lawsuit are the same named in the House v. NCAA case that was filed on July 26, 2024.
The House v. NCAA case, also known as the NCAA House
settlement, is named after Grant House who is the main plaintiff in the case. It is a lawsuit that argues that the NCAA and the schools within it restricted athletes from earning money, including through NIL deals and broadcast revenue.
If approved, the House settlement would pay for an estimated $2.8 billion in damages to past and current student-athletes.
The settlement also includes a plan for a way for universities to pay student-athletes directly.
On Monday, April 8, the settlement was heard in a courtroom in Oakland, California. Judge Claudia Wilken, who is presiding over the case, agreed with the contents of the settlement, but did not make a final ruling on Monday.
“I think it’s a good settlement,” Wilken said at the end of the seven-hour hearing. “Don’t quote me, [though].”
Many believe it will be a few weeks until a final verdict is made by Wilken. As of right now, universities plan to start paying their student-athletes directly in July.
Jenkins opted out of the House settlement and is pursuing his compensation through the lawsuit he filed last week.
The suit filed by Jenkins presents four main arguments. It argues that the NCAA and the other named conferences “have committed violations of the federal antitrust laws and common law by engaging in an overarching
WEEKLY SCOREBOARD
April 2 - April 8
Wednesday, April 2
Men’s Tennis vs. Saint Joseph’s 4-1 L
Women’s Lax @ Georgetown 12-9 L
Softball vs. Pennsylvania 12-12 T (8)
Thursday, April 3
Men’s Basketball vs. USC 60-59 W
Friday, April 4
Softball vs. Army 6-5 W (8)
M & W Track @ Sam Howell No Team Scoring Baseball vs. Georgetown 5-2 L
Men’s Tennis vs. Lafayette 4-0 W
Softball @ Boston College 9-0 L (5)
Saturday, April 5
Women’s Tennis @ DePaul 4-3 W
Men’s Lacrosse @ Providence 11-8 W
Water Polo vs. No. 22 Marist 16-13 W
Baseball vs. Georgetown 9-2 W
Men’s Basketball vs. UCF 104-98 L
Water Polo vs. RV Iona 16-14 W
Sunday, April 6
Women’s Tennis @ Connecticut 4-3 W
conspiracy to: (a) fix the amount that student-athletes may be paid for the licensing, use, and sale of their names, images, and likenesses at zero; (b) foreclose student-athletes from the market for licensing, use, and sale of their names, images and likenesses entirely; (c) fix the amount that student-athletes may be paid for their athletic services at no more than the value of a scholarship and (d) limit the quantity of athletic scholarships available in the market for student-athletes’ labor services.”
While clips of Jenkins’ buzzer-beater still play on national advertisements and pregame montages, he has not made any money off of them.
The lawsuit also mentions the famous $22.6 million donation from Villanova alumnus William B. Finneran in 2016. It argues that Jenkins’ shot aided the University in receiving that donation, as well as allowing the NCAA to make a profit off his buzzer-beater. As of April 8, the clip of Jenkins hitting the buzzer beater on the NCAA’s YouTube page has 4.5 million views and counting.
Jenkins did not go on to live a luxurious professional basketball career in the NBA.
After Villanova, he made professional pit stops at teams in small areas in the United States, playing with the Sioux Falls Skyforce and the Yakima SunKings. He eventually spent a season in Germany with the Eisbären Bremerhaven.
His playing career end -
Golf @ Abarta Coca-Cola 2nd of 16
Women’s Lacrosse vs. Marquette 15-8 W
Baseball vs. Georgetown 5-2 W
Softball @ Boston College 11-2 W
Water Polo vs. La Salle 11-5 W
Monday, April 7
Golf @ Abarta Coca-Cola 3rd of 16 (Final) Tuesday, April 8
Women’s Tennis vs. Lafayette Canceled
Baseball vs. Pennsylvania Canceled
ed with a hip injury in 2020. So, for Jenkins, winning this lawsuit means even more for him and his family.
“I just feel like the opportunity had arose for us to make the right move [with the lawsuit] and seek full compensation for not being able to make money on NIL, which hindered my family’s progress, which hindered my progress financially, which set our family back from the position that we really could have been in from the hard work that I put in,” Jenkins said to ESPN.
If Jenkins is successful in suing the NCAA, he could be compensated for his famous buzzer beater.
More importantly, Jenkins’ lawsuit could change the restrictions on salary caps currently listed in the House settlement.
Catching Up with the ‘Cats: Karen Martin (‘92)
Dylan Johnson Co-Sports Editor
In 1988, when Karen Martin (‘92) was looking at colleges to attend, not many schools at the time had open spots on their women’s soccer teams.
That is what sent her to Villanova. It had a women’s soccer team and a senior goalkeeper graduating. That meant that Martin instantly had a chance to have playing time if she were to attend.
Martin is an alumna who cannot find a way to stay away from helping her alma mater, which is a trend among many Villanova alumni. She is a current member of the Espiritus ‘Nova Campaign Committee, serving as one of the co-chairs of the athletics portion of the executive committee.
Martin graduated from the Villanova School of Business in 1992 with a degree in finance after beginning college as an undecided liberal arts major.
Martin stepped foot on the soccer pitch as Villanova’s newest goalkeeper, in a much different college sports landscape than there is today.
“Athletics has changed a lot over the years,” Martin said. “I think it’s harder to have a sense of community. When I came into Villanova, there were six of us. And there was one scholarship that they split between two players. There were two of us splitting a scholarship, so we’re on half a scholarship. And we couldn’t have cared less. Like, it didn’t matter,
we were all friends. We were all supportive of each other.”
Members of the women’s soccer team cared for each other. To this day, some of Martin’s closest friends suited up in the blue and white alongside her to play soccer at Villanova.
“I moved into New York City [after my second job] and lived with two other Villanovans,” Martin said. “One had played soccer and was a year older than me, just to give you a sense of what our community was like on the soccer team, which just ties into Villanova as a family, that small family I had on a soccer team, which was an instant family.”
Before Martin moved in with that select group of Villanova alumni, she graduated from college and entered the workforce in New York City. “Finance was my focus,” Martin said. “I worked at Smith Barney in their brokerage department in New York City. I lived in Hoboken with five
Villanovans, who were two years older than me. And then I worked for Prudential Securities on their high yield trading desk in sales.”
In 1995, Martin left her job at the trading desk to return to school for her Master of Business Administration at Columbia University. She earned her diploma in 1997.
She then returned to Smith Barney to work in its institutional equity sales department until she had her son, Scotty, in 2002.
“We lived out in New Jersey, and my husband and I were both commuting into the city,” Martin said. “So it just didn’t make sense [to both commute] having kids. I went back to work for a short time and then decided that I would stay at home to take care of our kids.”
Martin and her husband Scott have three kids: Scotty, who will graduate in May with a Master’s in finance from Villanova; Grace, a
current junior in college; and Emily, a high school senior.
Like most Villanova alumni, Martin has always found a way to stay involved with the University after graduation. She was on University President Rev. Father Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., Ph.D.’s advisory board from the Spring of 2010 to the Fall of 2021.
Martin has been deeply involved in Villanova’s soccer programs. She helped search for a new women’s head coach in 2021 when the University hired current head coach Samar Azem. Martin also helped fund the soccer facilities on West Campus, which installed new turf in 2014 and the locker rooms in Farley Hall, which were newly renovated in 2023.
Martin stays connected to the University because she understands how much Villanova means to her, and how what she does helps generations of students to come.
She acknowledges that despite ongoing changes in the college athletics landscape, Villanova is still rooted in its values as it adapts to the new era.
“We are athletes and we’re students,” Martin said. “That’s why [Villanova student-athletes] have the highest GPAs, because that’s important. You can’t step on the field if you’re failing out of school. Like, we need to make sure that you focus on your academics, so it’s not just about coming in here and playing your sports. Villanova is grounded in that Augustinian value, and I don’t think that we will ever stray from that, ever.”
W Tennis Continues Win Streak, M Tennis Honors Seniors
Katie Lewis Co-Sports Editor
Villanova women’s tennis (9-9, 4-0 Big East) continued its domination in the conference this weekend with wins over DePaul University and the University of Connecticut.
Meanwhile, the men’s team (4-16, 0-4) fell to Saint Joseph’s University but honored its seniors with a home sweep of Lafayette College on Saturday.
The women’s team defeated DePaul (9-10, 4-4) on Saturday, 4-3, and UConn (14-3, 8-1) on Sunday, 4-3, to extend its win streak to four.
After DePaul clinched the doubles point, it was Villanova’s singles performance that brought home the win.
“It’s always tough when you lose the doubles point and have to win four singles matches,” women’s head coach Steve Reiniger said. “The attitude on the court was fantastic, and we fought till the end.”
To open singles play, graduate Sophia Edwards claimed a gritty 7-6, 6-4 win at No. 1. Freshman Olivia Corcoran fell at No. 2, 6-1, 6-0. Junior Maggie Gehrig picked up the energy in singles with a 6-2, 6-4 victory. Sophomore Jenna Stevens won at No. 3, 7-6, 6-1, to take the match.
The women moved into a tough matchup with UConn the next day. The match again came down to individual performances after Villanova gave up the doubles point.
Three singles matches turned into grueling three-set battles. At No. 1, Edwards took on UConn senior
Olivia Wright, but fell, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4.
“Sophia [Edwards] and UConn’s number one [Wright] are probably the two best players in the conference, so that was a good match to see,” Reiniger said. “Sophia’s the most positive and mentally tough player on the team. She leads by example. The other girl just caught fire, there’s no other way to say it.”
Corcoran blew through the second singles match with a 6-0, 6-2 win.
At No. 3, Gehrig fought to a 7-5, 6-7, 6-2 victory. Her performances across the weekend earned her Big East Singles Player of the Week honors.
“Staying positive has really helped their results, and especially Maggie [Gehrig] because she’s on an eight-game win streak as a junior,” Reiniger said. “This is by far her best season yet.”
Due to weather, the women’s Tuesday home match against Lafayette has been rescheduled. In the meantime, the Wildcats prepare to host rival Georgetown (6-10, 3-5) on Saturday, April 12 at 11 a.m.
As for the men, the week’s matches began with a 4-1 loss to Saint Joe’s (8-12, 2-1 Atlantic-10) on Wednesday.
The match started with both doubles pairs conceding to the Hawks, 6-2.
“We were very flat in that match, especially doubles,” head coach Brad Adams said. “We need to make sure we carry energy through the singles matches. Everybody’s playing well, striking the ball well. We just need to work on having that attitude,
as far as being confident in every point.”
On the singles side, the bright spot for Villanova was junior Cooper Gordon. The only Wildcat to secure a win, Gordon dominated Saint Joe’s senior Justus Agbo, 6-1, 6-0, at the No. 1 position.
“[Gordon] has been very close all season, as far as beating very good players,” Adams said. “He was able to push through and get that victory, which shows his commitment and willingness to work hard. He’s really transforming himself into a guy that [his teammates] can look up to.”
In the other complete singles matches, senior Trey Fourticq lost at No. 2, 6-4, 6-0. Sophomore Will Monahan took a 6-2, 6-1 loss at No. 4. In the No. 5 singles match, sophomore Thomas Wakefield also lost, 6-2, 6-0. Villanova flipped the energy on Friday with a Senior Day sweep over Lafayette (5-13, 2-4 Patriot League). The Wildcats honored two graduating seniors, Fourticq and Josh Vestal.
In doubles play, sophomore Justin Frattarelli and Monahan grabbed a 6-1 win at No. 1. At No. 2, Gordon and sophomore Kush Anand won, 6-3. As a celebration, the seniors teamed up at No. 3 doubles for a 6-2 victory.
“[Fourticq and Vestal] have been some of my best leaders in my time here at Villanova, as far as setting an example of what being a student-athlete is all about,” Adams said. “The camaraderie and the energy on the court was ridiculous.”
Fourticq continued the Senior Day energy with a quick 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 2 singles. Anand earned a 6-0, 6-1 win in No. 6 singles. Wakefield finished the day with another victory at No. 5, 6-2, 6-2.
The Wildcats will take on one of their toughest matches of the season this Wednesday, April 9. Villanova heads to Queens, NY to face Saint John’s University (19-2, 3-0) at noon. The team will return home on Saturday, April 12 for another noon match against Georgetown (6-12, 2-4).
Karen Martin (‘92) (far right) with her husband, Scott, and kids Grace, Scotty and Emily. Courtesy of Karen Martin
Seniors Trey Fourticq and Josh Vestal paired up for No. 3 doubles, beating Lafayette, 6-2. Erick Quezada/Villanovan Photography
Women’s Lacrosse Bounces Back Against Marquette
Casey Healey Staff Writer
Villanova women’s lacrosse is back in the win column after a decisive, 15-8 victory over Marquette University on Sunday, April 6.
It was Youth Day at Villanova Stadium, as Villanova (9-4 overall, 3-1 Big East) hosted Marquette (8-5, 2-2) for a morning game.
“We stressed on playing 60 minutes of Villanova lacrosse,” head coach Jill Batcheller said. Redshirt sophomore attacker Elena Torres led the way in scoring, with four goals and two assists for a total of six points. Senior attacker Sami Carey followed close behind with three.
Sophomore midfielders Rose Christie and Sophia Corretjer, as well as senior attacker Sydney Pappas, netted two goals each.
“Elena is just really competitive and like a spark on the field,” Batcheller said. “I think she is going to be somebody down the line that’s going to be really important for our team.”
Marquette struck first with an early goal in the opening period.
Villanova answered back five minutes later with a woman-up goal from Christie, assisted by Carey. With three minutes and 42 seconds left in the first period,
Christie netted a second goal, also assisted by Carey. The Wildcats went on to score two more goals in the quarter while holding the Golden Eagles to just one.
“Having multiple threats on offense has been a really big part of our growth this year,” Batcheller said. “I think that it makes us a really dynamic offense.”
Torres netted a free-position shot in the opening two minutes of the second period. Villanova tallied five goals across the period while forcing six Marquette
turnovers in just 10 minutes.
The Golden Eagles managed to net one more goal to end the half with Wildcats still ahead by a considerable margin, 9-2.
Torres once again sparked Villanova’s scoring in the third period. She netted her second goal of the day within the opening two minutes of the period. Pappas and Carey added two more goals, and the ‘Cats headed into the fourth quarter up, 14-7.
Both offenses were mostly quiet through the final 15 minutes.
Pappas netted one last goal for Villanova just 19 seconds into the fourth period. Marquette also added on one more with 11 minutes remaining for the final goal of the game.
“I think the defense has been playing really united,” Batcheller said. “Their performance all over has allowed for our offense to take a lot of risks.”
Villanova will next travel to Cincinnati, OH to face Xavier University (1-10, 0-3 Big East) on Saturday, April 12 (noon).
Men’s Lacrosse Starts Big East Play Undefeated
Elijah McDow Staff Writer
On Saturday, April 5, Villanova men’s lacrosse took on Providence in conference play.
The Wildcats (5-5, 2-0 Big East) defeated Providence (4-7, 0-2 Big East), 11-8, in their second Big East game of the year.
It is the first time Villanova has started Big East play undefeated since 2019. It also marks the team’s longest win streak since March 2024.
“I thought the intensity of our play was really good,” head coach Mike Corrado said. “We played really hard the entire game but from a negative standpoint we were still a little sloppy and turning the ball over too much.”
The Wildcats held the Friars scoreless in the second quarter and allowed just one fourth quarter goal. Villanova held multiple three and four goal leads throughout the game.
Redshirt sophomore attacker Colin Michener finished the game with four goals. He now sits at a team-high 19 goals on the season.
“Colin [Michener’s] an elite-level scorer,” Corrado said. “Early in the season he struggled a little bit with his shot, but in the last few games he’s been back to the form he was in last season and he’s found his stride.”
Sophomore midfielder Nicholas Lucchesi netted the Wildcats’ first goal four minutes into the
game.
The Friars came back a second time but redshirt sophomore attacker Lucas Newton’s first goal of the season and Michener’s second of the game gave the Wildcats a two goal lead.
Second-quarter goals from redshirt sophomore attacker David Link and junior midfielder Luke Williams helped the Wildcats go into the break with a 6-3 lead.
In the first half, the Wildcats took a total of 22 first half shots and won 16 ground balls.
Two minutes into the second half, the Friars snapped their quarter-long scoring drought. They then added a second goal to trim the Wildcats lead from three to one.
The Friars almost tied the game with eight minutes to play but senior defender Tripp Robinson made a stop to give the Wildcats a fresh possession.
“Providence looked like they were going to have a fast break opportunity,” Corrado said. “[Robinson] sprinting back and diving to check the ball out of the guy’s stick, I thought really changed the momentum of the game.”
Robinson’s defense and hustle allowed Michener to score backto-back goals to give the Wildcats a three-goal lead with 6:42 remaining in the third quarter.
After giving up a goal, senior attackers Luke Raymond and Dan Martin gave Villanova its first four-goal lead of the game.
“I thought our man-down team shut the door on Providence’s
advantage,” Corrado said. “They didn’t score any goals when they had an extra man, so the group did a really good job and our defense played really well.”
The Wildcats grew their lead to four off a solo goal from graduate attacker Matt Licata. For the remainder of the fourth quarter, the Wildcats held the Friars to one goal.
“[A 2-0 start] is a great
place to be in with two lengthy trips,” Corrado said. “It’s only a five-game season, so to get two wins in general is important, but to get to road wins is a very good way to start the [Big East] season, but we know we have a ways to go.” Villanova will now prepare for its Big East home opener against St. John’s (4-8, 0-2 Big East) on Saturday, April 12 at Villanova Stadium (Noon, FloSports).
Women’s lacrosse has started conference play 3-1. Courtesy of Villanova Athletics
The men are on their longest win streak since March 2024. Courtesy of Villanova Athletics
Baseball Starts Big East Play, 2-1
Jack Flannely Staff Writer
Villanova baseball hosted Georgetown University for its first conference series of the season, and went 2-1 across the weekend.
The Wildcats (16-13, 2-1 Big East) dropped game one to the Hoyas (11-20, 1-2 Big East), 4-2 and won the second and third games, 9-2 and 5-2, respectively.
“I’m proud of how the guys played,” head coach Kevin Mulvey said. “It was a tough series. Georgetown played well, we played well, we pitched to contact, and we overcame our mistakes.”
Graduate pitcher Luke McCollough started game one. He threw 6.2 innings, allowing four runs and striking out two. Junior Bobby Finn pitched two shutout innings out of the bullpen.
Georgetown got on the board in the first inning on a three-run home run. The game stayed at 3-0 until the seventh, when the Hoyas added another run on an RBI single.
In the bottom of the seventh, junior Michael Whooley hit a tworun home run to make it 4-2. Whooley is now batting .316 on the season, in a team-leading 114 at-bats.
The Wildcats were shut out in the eighth and ninth innings, dropping their first conference game of the season, 4-2.
Jon Hunn Staff Writer
In game two of the series, Georgetown struck first, with a twoRBI single in the second inning.
The score remained 2-0 until freshman JoJo Montgomery drove in the first run of the game for Villanova in the sixth inning.
The Wildcats plated four more runs in the seventh inning behind two wild pitches and RBI singles from senior Josue Valdez and sophomore Trent Toole.
Villanova added four in the ninth on a Georgetown fielding error and a two-run home run from graduate Jason Neff.
Sophomore Jake Francis (5-0) started on the mound for the Wildcats. He went seven innings, allowing two runs and striking out four.
Graduate Alec Sachais picked up his fourth save of the year, throwing two shutout innings. The Wildcats bounced back to win, 9-2. Francis now has a 3.35 ERA on the season over 37.2 innings pitched. In game three, graduate Bobby Olsen got the start. He pitched three innings, allowing two runs and striking out three. Bobby Finn came in to pitch out of the bullpen. He
threw three scoreless innings, striking out five.
Georgetown took a 2-0 lead in the fourth on an RBI double and a sacrifice fly.
Villanova responded with a two-run fourth inning behind Valez’s first home run of the season and a Toole RBI single to tie the game.
Whooley hit a solo home run to give the Wildcats their first lead of the game in the fifth. They added another run in the sixth on an RBI groundout by freshman Austin Lemon.
Villanova got an insurance run in the seventh when freshman Brayden Leonard hit an RBI single.
Sachais shut the door again, throwing the final three innings, striking out three and allowing zero hits.
In the three-game series, Villanova’s bullpen did not allow a single run.
“Knowing that we have guys that can come out of the bullpen and throw strikes is huge,” Mulvey said. “It helps the confidence of the team.”
The Wildcats will travel to Indianapolis to face Butler University (10-21, 0-3 Big East) in a three-game conference series from April 11 to April 13.
“Hopefully, we can have a good week of practice,” Mulvey said. “And keep things rolling against Butler next week.”
Softball Succeeds in Trip To Boston
lead since the third, but Villanova limited the damage to just one.
After a midweek draw with the University of Pennsylvania at the Villanova Softball Complex, Villanova (18-17-1, 8-4 Big East) traveled north for a three-game series in Brighton, MA.
The Wildcats went 2-1 across the weekend.
Villanova’s previous home matchup with Penn on Wednesday, April 2 ended in a 12-12 tie.
The Wildcats edged Army (21-16, 5-0 Patriot League), 6-5, with a dramatic walk-off win in eight innings. Villanova then split a twogame set with Boston College (17-18, 3-9 ACC). The Wildcats fell, 9-0, in five innings on Saturday night, before bouncing back with an 11-2 victory on Sunday afternoon.
To start Friday’s matchup, Army jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first on an RBI double. Villanova responded with a run in the bottom half of the inning from senior right fielder Elaina Wagner’s RBI double.
Army added a run in the third with an RBI single. The Wildcats then answered as freshman catcher Ava Mahnken and sophomore designated player Maranda Runco hit back-toback solo homers to cut the deficit to 4-3.
After a scoreless fourth, Villanova tied the game in the fifth on senior left fielder Kelsey White’s clutch two-out RBI single.
With neither team scoring in the sixth or seventh, extras began with a runner on second. Army plated a run with an RBI single, for its first
Sophomore center fielder Madison Ostrowski started at second in the bottom of the eighth. Mahnken’s single moved her to third, and Mahnken advanced to second on the throw. A passed ball brought Ostrowski home to tie the game.
Walks to Runco and Franz loaded the bases, and Wagner’s grounder to second allowed Mahnken to beat the throw home, sealing the 6-5 walk-off win.
“[Franz and Wagner are] seniors, so it’s great just to see that senior leadership,” Villanova head coach Bridget Orchard said. “They stepped up big on the field, [but] they’re great off the field as well. Brooklyn [Ostrowski], same thing, leading the charge that day, which is great to see.”
Villanova junior pitcher Kat Gallant (8-6) earned the victory, gutting out a complete game. In eight innings and 133 pitches, Gallant allowed five runs (four earned) on 10 hits, walking one and striking out a career-high 12 batters.
In the second half of the Friday doubleheader, the Wildcats suffered a 9-0, run-rule defeat at the hands of the Eagles.
Boston College took a quick, 2-0 lead in the first when two runs were scored on a Villanova error.
Boston College tacked on four more runs in the second inning, with a two-run single and a two-run double. It capped the rally with another RBI double.
Eagles senior left fielder Zoe Hines launched a solo home run in
the third inning, and an RBI single later in the frame pushed the lead to 9-0 by the end of the inning.
Villanova had an opportunity to stave off the run rule in the top of the fifth, but failed to reach base.
Villanova senior pitcher Kelsey White (2-2) took the loss, allowing seven runs (five earned) on six hits over 2.0 innings, with two walks and one strikeout.
To cap the weekend, the Wildcats thumped the Eagles, 11-2, on Sunday afternoon.
Runco began the scoring for Villanova, blasting a two-run home run in the bottom of the first. Franz clobbered a solo shot of her own in the third, extending the lead to three.
Boston College cut into the deficit in the third on sophomore third baseman Gator Robinson’s solo home run that made it a 3-1 ballgame.
The Wildcats pushed the lead back to 5-1 in the top of the sixth inning on a two-run home run from redshirt senior Brooklyn Ostrowski.
For Villanova’s fourth home run of the day, Wagner hit another
two-run homer in the sixth to stretch the lead to seven runs.
The onslaught continued in the seventh, starting with an RBI single by Franz. Wagner followed with a two-run single, and B. Ostrowski added another RBI single.
Boston College managed a one-out solo home run in the bottom of the seventh to lower the deficit to nine, but Gallant retired the next two hitters to end the game.
Gallant (9-6) picked up her second win and complete game of the weekend. She allowed four hits and two runs, issued one walk and recorded four strikeouts.
“[Gallant’s] been awesome,” Orchard said. “She’s been able to throw complete games because she throws so many different [pitches] and attacks hitters in different ways.”
The Wildcats host Drexel (230, 2-13 Coastal Athletic Association) on Wednesday, April 9. Villanova will then host a three-game Big East tilt this weekend against DePaul (13-20, 1-11 Big East) at the Villanova Softball Complex.
Villanova baseball is on pace to have its first winning season since 2021. Erick Quezada/Villanovan Photography
Freshman Ava Mahnken picked up a hit against Penn this past week. Erick Quezada/Villanovan Photography
All photos courtesy of Erick Quezada/Villanovan Photography.
ACROSS
1 The Cavs on a scoreboard 4 Spanish cheer 7 Some movie f/x 10 ___-been 11 "Over the Hedge," main character species 13 Grocery payment method 14 Puffed up 15 Like an email saying you won $1,000,000 17 "Anything ___?"
18 Fill up
22 Like some dicts. 23 "We need to cook," show 25 Fifth qtrs.
26 "... finished!" 27 Uptight
29 Stroller, to a Brit 30 Let loose 34 "I'll take that as ___"
35 Unearthed
36 Soak up the sun
37 Snake's sound
38 Skeleton prefix
39 Road curve DOWN
1 Squares made up of black and white squares
2 Pairs that cut up frogs together
3 Where you can score some
4 Surgical areas, for short
5 Bar concern
6 Prefix with logical 7 Work together 8 Flips as a monkey would 9 What you fight when facing personal struggles 12 The Browns on a scoreboard 16 Unaccounted-fo r, briefly 19 Pseudonym lead-in
20 Its symbol is Sn 21 Break off 24 Econ. stat 28 Was ahead 31 Period
32 Reason for an R rating
33 Tokyo, formerly
THE CROSSWORD
ASK THE VILLANOVAN
I’m a freshman and I just found out I got into a different school for next year as a transfer. I’m conflicted and don’t know what to do. What do you advise?
Hey, I hear ya. This is a big decision that you should not make rashly. I think that there are a lot of factors you should consider before coming to your final decision.
The first thing to consider, is what would be the better option financially. College is expensive (and Villanova loves to add on tution increases) so it is very important to think about cost and scholarship oppurtunites at both schools.
Second, you should think about programs. Villanova is a very strong school academically, but it is no secret that there are some programs that take the backseat in order of University priority. Nursing and business are Villanova’s babies, but if the other school you got into has a program better suited for you, then that may be the way to go.
Third, what will make you the most happy? Yes, this may seem obvious, but think back on your Villanova memories. Do more of them bring you joy or do you imagine yourself thriving more at this other school?
My final advice is to not let others influence your decision (even though I am writing on behalf of
an advice column). Your future is yours, no one else’s. I understand that this is a very important and difficult decision. Good luck, and make the decision that will best benefit you!
Help! I am going home with a friend for Easter Break but I was not raised Catholic. What should I expect this week?
Lucky for you, I have been going to Catholic Easter Mass since I can remember (shoutout Catholic School).
Here is all you need to know for this week. An Easter 101, if you will.
Wednesday: Students can leave after their last classes. Safe travels!
Thursday: Holy Thursday. Warning, if you do not like physical touch beware of the feet washing. Holy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, when Jesus shared a meal with his disciples.
Friday: Good or not good, that is the true question. Good Friday is the day that honors the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. It will be the longest Mass you will ever sit through, and it is very somber. However, it is widely received as the most religious day of the Catholic year.
Saturday: There is not much happening Satur-
day, to be honest. Take this day to relax.
Sunday: The day you have been waiting for! Sunday is Easter, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. Easter Mass is beautiful, and you will witness the Catholic community come together to celebrate their savior.
I have formal at the end of the semester and all my usual go-to shops don’t have good dresses. Where should I look instead?
I am going to be so honest, I loath buying dresses for formals. But here are some classics that never (or well, very rarely) fail me.
Amazon: Quick, cheap and good quality, Amazon is THE triple threat when it comes to finding a formal dress. A simple search of “sorority formal dress” in the search bar and you are on your way.
Target: Okay, I will be honest, Target can be a hit or a miss, but more times than not, it is a hit. Inexpensive and cute, Target is a go-to for long dress formals.
Baltic Born: Yes, it is a little more expensive than the others, but the options are endless and cute. This is a great website, not only for a formal, but summer abroad trips, weddings, summer dinners and more!
