As Falvey’s Cat in the Stax, Rebecca writes articles covering a broad range of topics, from academics to hobbies to random events. All the while highlighting how Falvey Library can enhance your Villanova experience!

Happy Wednesday, Wildcats! The last day of classes is next Thursday, can you believe it? It feels so close yet so far at the same time. I know most of you are probably feeling burnt out right now, I sure am. Aware that this is a stressful time for students, I’ll keep this post short, but that doesn’t make the message any less important.

Self-care is critical for our physical and mental well-being. You’ve definitely heard this term before–it means caring for yourself. By looking after yourself and taking care of often-ignored needs, you can benefit your overall well-being and improve your productivity in the long run. The benefits of continuous self-care include improved physical, mental, and emotional health, increased productivity, better social relationships, heightened self-esteem, and decreased chances of burnout.

Photo by Content Pixie from Unsplash.com

Taking a step away from your work is necessary every once in a while. Make some time these next few weeks to take a break and relax, even if it’s only for five minutes. Do something for yourself that makes you happy. Below are a variety of ways you can engage in some self-care:

Physical:

• Work out
• Take a walk
• Sit outside in the sun and fresh air
• Eat well
• Get 7-9 hours of sleep each night

Mental/Emotional:

• Talk to someone–a friend, relative, therapist, professor, mentor, etc.
• Journal
• Stay Positive
• Volunteer
• Meet up with friends and family
• Read a book
• Do something artistic
• Watch a movie

Spiritual:

• Meditate/Pray
• Practice Mindfulness
• Practice Yoga

If you happen to be studying in Falvey on May 3, please take some time to check out our Stress Busting Open House from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Library will have snacks, fun activities, and some cute furry friends! It will be a great way to take a break from work and re-energize yourself!

Looking to get involved in making a difference? Villanova has organized a myriad of events over the next two weeks to celebrate Earth Week. Click here to look at what’s being offered and to sign up!

Rebecca Amrick is a first-year graduate student in the English Department and a Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.

Join the Office of Belonging and Inclusion and Falvey Library’s DEI Committee to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month on May 1, from 1-2:30 p.m. (or until supplies last), with free mochi donuts and a bubble tea bar. Stop by the Suite Lounge in Corr Hall to grab some bubble tea, then head over to Falvey Library’s first floor for some mochi donuts. In celebration of AAPI Heritage Month Falvey Library will be sharing a list of books and other resources by and about people of Asian-Pacific ancestry. No list of this nature could ever be comprehensive, but we hope the resources will serve as a starting point.

What are mochi donuts?

Mochi donuts also known as poi mochi are a hybrid between cake donuts and chewy mochi, Japanese rice cakes made from glutinous rice, also known as polished sticky rice. Mochi donuts typically use gluten-free tapioca flour or glutinous rice flour. While some recipes include all-purpose flour, they can also be made entirely gluten-free.

What is Bubble Tea?

Bubble tea also known as “Boba tea,” “pearl milk tea,” or in Taiwan, zhenzhu naicha (珍珠奶茶) is a Taiwanese recipe made by blending black tea, milk, fruit juices, and chewy tapioca pearls, all shaken together and served with a large straw big enough to accommodate the tapioca pearls.

This event, co-sponsored by the Office of Belonging and Inclusion and Falvey Library, is free and open to the Villanova community.

The Villanova Community is cordially invited to join us on Monday, April 22, 1-3 p.m. (or until supplies last!), on the Falvey Hall Patio to celebrate a major milestone: the 75th anniversary of Falvey Hall as the home of Villanova University’s Library!

We’ll offer a variety of delicious treats including cake, cookies, and candy for attendees to savor during this sweet moment! In honor of the Library’s namesake, we’ll also be raffling off a limited amount of custom Father Falvey socks. (See below for a preview of this dripping footwear!)

You can help us commemorate this momentous occasion! Make sure to stop by to sign our big anniversary card and take a trip down memory lane by sharing your favorite Falvey memories! We want to know what part Falvey has played during your journey at Villanova.

We hope to see you there. Cheers to 75 memorable years!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

In Measure for Measure, Shakespeare wrote, “Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.”

Happy Monday, Wildcats! As we approach the end of the semester and papers, exams, assignments, and other responsibilities pile up, remember to not let your doubts cloud your mind and make you miss out on opportunities and achievable goals. Everyone doubts themselves at some point, that’s totally normal, but letting your doubts rule you and stop you from trying will almost never end in success. So, believe in yourself and don’t let your doubts stop you from seizing your moment.

THIS WEEK AT FALVEY

Monday, April 22

Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Falvey Hall as the Home of Villanova University’s Library | 1-3 p.m. | Falvey Hall Patio | Free & Open to the Villanova Community

Mindfulness Monday | 1-1:30 p.m. | Multifaith Prayer Room, St. Rita’s Hall | Virtual Option | ACS-Approved | Free & Open to Villanova Students, Faculty, & Staff

Center for Speaking and Presentation/The Learners’ Studio | 4-9 p.m. | Room 301 | Free

Tuesday, April 23

Broadening Diversity in the Environmental Sciences through a High School Environmental Justice Focused Research Experience | 4-5 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | ACS-Approved | Free & Open to the Public

Center for Speaking and Presentation/The Learners’ Studio | 4-9 p.m. | Room 301 | Free

Wednesday, April 24

Center for Speaking and Presentation/The Learners’ Studio | 4-9 p.m. | Room 301 | Free

Thursday, April 25

Black History in the Philadelphia Landscape with Amy Cohen | 12-1:15 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | ACS-Approved | Free & Open to the Public | Livestream Here

Center for Speaking and Presentation/The Learners’ Studio | 12-9 p.m. | Room 301 | Free

Friday, April 26

2024 Falvey Scholars Research Presentation and Awards Ceremony | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Public | Livestream Here 

Sunday, April 28

Center for Speaking and Presentation/The Learners’ Studio | 3-9 p.m. | Room 301 | Free

HOLIDAYS THIS WEEK

As you might already know, today, April 22 is Earth Day—which you can read about in GA Rebecca’s latest Cat in the Stax blog—but here are some other holidays coming up this week:

If you’re chronically blaring music in your headphones or in noisy environments, International Noise Awareness Day is this Thursday, April 25. It’s not typically something we think about when we’re young, but exposure to loud noise can catch up with us in the future (and a lot sooner than you might think). Check out this CDC infographic for more information on why protecting your ears is important.

Photo by Martii Tolentino on Pixels

I know it’s that point in the semester where almost everyone is in the trenches, but this Friday, Apr. 26 is Get Organized Day. If you’re feeling motivated to get organized, today is the day, whether you’re looking to de-clutter your room, reorganize your closet, or get all your notes and end-of-the semester assignments organized.

If you’re a salty-over-sweet kind of person, Friday is also National Pretzel Day. As former GA Ethan talked about in his “Pretzelvania” blog post, Pennsylvania takes pretzels very seriously, being the nation’s leading producer. Whether you prefer hard pretzels or soft pretzels, it’s the perfect opportunity to enjoy some pretzels.

Annie Stockmal is a second-year graduate student in the Communication Department and Graduate Assistant in Falvey Library.

Just in time for our 75th anniversary of Falvey Hall as the Home of Villanova University’s Library, we flashback to circa 1970s to see a student using the Library!

Look for a cameo by Falvey Library Director the Rev. Louis A. Rongione, OSA, whose desk is still stored in the Library.

Credit: University Archives

Layna Nurse and Isabel Choi discuss True Biz with a Falvey patron.

This spring Falvey is proud to promote One Book, One Philadelphia. From April 8 to May 22, the Free Library of Philadelphia will offer events to “foster literacy, library usage, and civic dialogue through all corners of the city.” For more information on the One Book, One Philadelphia events: visit this link.

One of the 2024 One Book, One Philadelphia Selections is True Biz by Sara Nović. The fictional novel, centered around three characters at the River Valley School for the Deaf, focuses on “themes of belonging, autonomy, and the importance of self-expression…True Biz shows the rich history and culture of Deaf communities.” Want to read True Biz online? Check out Falvey’s eBook!

The Villanova community had the opportunity to enter in a drawing to win copies of True Biz and a pocket sign language dictionary on Wednesday, April 17-19. Winners will be announced soon–Stay tuned! The informational table (pictured above), sponsored by the Falvey Library DEI Committee provided students with helpful resources. Join Falvey Library this September for Deaf Awareness Month. Falvey’s DEI Committee and the Deaf Studies Program at Villanova will host a panel book discussion on True Biz and Deaf culture.

Interested in learning more about ASL and Deaf culture at Villanova? Check out the new Deaf Studies minor! Looking for more resources? No list of this nature could ever be comprehensive, but we hope these eBooks available at Falvey will serve as a starting point.

Open Your Eyes: Deaf Studies Talking by H-Dirksen L. Bauman
Deaf Gain: Raising the Stakes for Human Diversity by H-Dirksen L.Bauman and Joseph J. Murray
Deaf Utopia: A Memoir – and a Love Letter to a Way of Life by Nyle DiMarco

Happy Friday, Wildcats! Falvey Library is delivering you another semester of Weekend Recs, a blog dedicated to filling you in on what to read, listen to, and watch over the weekend. Annie, a graduate assistant from the Communication department, scours the internet, peruses the news, and digs through book stacks to find new, relevant, and thought-provoking content that will challenge you and prepare you for the upcoming week. A disclaimer that this column is intended for reflection and entertainment (not for academic research, for example), and infuses scholarly content as possible.

After seeing Dev Patel’s Monkey Man and Villanova Theatre’s production of The Spanish Tragedy in the course of a week, it’s safe to say revenge stories have been on my mind, and given the fact that the theme of vengeance has captivated storytellers and audiences for centuries, I’m certainly not alone in this.

This weekend’s recs will focus on the theme of revenge in fiction, from movies to plays to short stories.

If you have 10 minutes…and want to read a (only slightly spoiler-y) review of Dev Patel’s directorial debut read this article. Personally, as a casual Dev Patel fan, I was honestly blown away by this movie. It’s very John Wick-coded–which Patel nods to–it’s definitely the best movie I’ve seen this year.

Bonus: if you want a non-spoiler-y review of the film, read this review.

If you have 20 minutes…and like short stories, read Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado, available online through Falvey.

If you have 1 hour and 32 minutes…and you’re not a fan of bloody, gory revenge flicks, watch Legally Blonde, available to stream online through Falvey. It might not seem like a traditional revenge film, but Legally Blonde is rife with revenge themes, with characters like Elle, Paulette, and even Chutney going down various paths of vengeance.

Bonus: if want more woman-centric vengeance that’s a bit more gritty, you can also watch Promising Young Woman, available to stream online through Falvey.

Photo by Mathew MacQuarrie on Unsplash

If you have 1 hour and 41 minutes…and want a supernatural revenge tale, watch The Crow, available to stream online through Falvey. I know this movie is kind of tainted due to Brandon Lee’s tragic death, but I think it’s still worth watching. Plus, for a revenge action film, it also manages to sneak in a surprising, yet refreshing amount of heart and emotion.

Bonus: Not a fan of the supernatural? You can also watch John Wick, available to stream online through Falvey.

If you have 3 hours…and want to do something fun on campus this weekend, attend Villanova Theatre’s latest production, The Spanish Tragedy. You can also read my review here.

If you have 5 hours…and want to take a scholarly dive into revenge tragedies, read Kerrigan’s Revenge Tragedy: Aeschylus to Armageddon, available online through Falvey.

Annie Stockmal is a second-year graduate student in the Communication Department and Graduate Assistant in Falvey Library.

Happy Thursday, Wildcats! This week, the Curious Cat team wanted to know what songs students are listening to. We asked library patrons, “What is your favorite song right now?”

“Highway Queen”
-Emma Lane ’26 CLAS

“Too Sweet–Hozier”
-Grace Hinshaw ’26 CLAS

“Where The Wild Things Are”
-Peyton Gibbs ’27 CLAS

Rebecca Amrick is a first-year graduate student in the English Department and a Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.

Julia Wagner ’26 CLAS is a second-year Economics major and student worker at Falvey Library.

By Shawn Proctor

Happy Earth Week!

We flashback to 2021, when the sustainability fair returned to campus, offering a variety of fun and functional wares. This year’s Earth Week is under way, so make sure to check out all of the great events!

Shawn Proctor, MFA, is Communication and Marketing Program Manager at Falvey Library.