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Cat in the Stax: Semester Rewind

By Ethan Shea

For my last “Cat in the Stax” of the semester, I thought it would be fun to write a semester recap and reflect on some of my favorite moments from fall 2021 while looking ahead toward what the new year holds!

To get the obvious out of the way, this was my first semester at Villanova University and first time publishing “Cat in the Stax” blogs. In my humble opinion, I think the transition to life as a wildcat has gone smoothly, and I couldn’t be happier to be part of the Villanova community.

"Cow Community" by Yunuen Cho

“Cow Community” by Yunuen Cho

As for my favorite “Cat in the Stax” blog, I have to say I’m particularly attached to my post for Hispanic Heritage Month, “Appreciating Hispanic Visual Artists.” I really enjoyed the research that went into that blog, and I loved having the opportunity to promote an upcoming artist.

Writing these blogs has had a substantial impact on my day-to-day life too. After writing about Fantastic Mr. Fox in the “Fall Films for the Faint of Heart” blog, I put the movie on repeat for the next month and started listening to the soundtrack while studying. A couple songs from the film even made it onto my Spotify Wrapped! Additionally, since writing the blog on “Hayao Miyazaki’s (Un)retirement” a few weeks ago, I’ve been watching Studio Ghibli movies whenever I get the chance. I won’t be surprised if some Ghibli scores make it onto my wrapped playlists in 2022.

And speaking of music, my “What are you listening to ?” blog from early in the semester was definitely a highlight for me. It forced me to narrow down some of my favorite musicians and choose a group of artists with diverse styles to present. I enjoyed the process of putting what I love about each album to words too. It helped me appreciate the music even more than I already did.

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Scene from “Fantastic Mr. Fox”

"Album cover of the album 'Mood Valiant" by Hiatus Kaiyote"

“Mood Valiant” by Hiatus Kaiyote

“Cat in the Stax” blogs also taught me lots of fun facts. For example, who knew the Department of Transportation oversees timezones in the United States? I certainly didn’t until I wrote “Why Daylight Saving Time Scares Me.” Moreover, discovering that late-night study sessions can actually be productive by writing the “Answering All Your Study Questions” blog has made me feel a lot better about my nocturnal habits.

And we can’t forget the memorable events tied to “Cat in the Stax” blogs this semester. My personal favorite was Wildcat Thrifting. Not only was this the first student-run Wildcat Thrift ever, I also discovered some more places to thrift near campus while writing the blog for it.

"Photo from Wildcat Thrift Event"

Photo from Wildcat Thrift

As for next semester, there are plenty of occasions I’m looking forward to. For one, Lit Fest 2022 is sure to be a hit, and I’m excited to learn about all the amazing writers that will be there!

There are plenty more “Cat in the Stax” blogs to come next year, and I truly appreciate everyone who reads these posts!

To wrap things up, I hope everyone enjoys winter break and finds time to read a good book. Happy holidays!

 


Headshot of Ethan SheaEthan Shea is a first-year English Graduate Student and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Memorial Library.


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Last Modified: December 15, 2021

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