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.

Photo by Kate Laine on Unsplash

From Home Alone to How the Grinch Stole Christmas to cheesy Hallmark movies, Christmas movies have worked their way into the hearts of many, regardless of whether or not they celebrate the holiday. It might only be a week into December, but as “25 Days of Christmas” suggests, it is still the perfect time to get cozy and watch some Christmas and holiday-themed specials.

With finals coming up this week, the mood might not be joyous and cheerful, but some lighthearted movies and shows might be just the thing to warm up even the Grinch-iest of hearts. (And if traditional Christmas movie really aren’t your thing, don’t worry. You can still watch Die Hard, Harry Potter, Gremlins, and Black Christmas).

If you have 10 minutes…and are a Birds fan, read this article about the Eagles’ new Christmas record.

Photo by Игорь Лушницкий

If you have 22 minutes…and want to watch one of my personal favorite Christmas special episodes, watch Bob’s Burger‘s “Bob Rest Ye Merry Gentle-Mannequins,” available on Hulu. It’s definitely got the absurd tone of the earlier seasons of Bob’s Burgers.

If you have another 22 minutes…and want to watch my favorite Hanukkah special, watch “The Hanukkah Story” from The Nanny, available to stream on Max.

If you have 42 minutes…and love watch “A Benihana Christmas” from The Office‘s third season, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection. This was one of the best seasons of The Office, and I think this Christmas episode reflects that.

Bonus: check out this list of the best sitcom Christmas specials for some more Christmas recs you can stream.

If you have 1 hour and 34 minutes…and are a fan of the classics, watch A Christmas Story, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection. This is one classic I’ve never gotten around to watching (unless you count seeing the play), so it’ll definitely go on my watch-list this holiday season.

If you have 1 hour and 48 minutes…and enjoy ballet, watch The Nutcracker, available to stream through Falvey. Seeing our local Nutcracker productions was always one of my favorite Christmas traditions, but it’s hard to compete with this professional performance.

If you have 2 hours and 10 minutes…and want an even older classic, watch It’s a Wonderful Life, available to stream through Falvey.

If you have 2 hours and 30 minutes…and want some light reading, read Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, available online through Falvey.

Bonus: if you want even more Christmas book recs to read once the semester ends, check out this list of new releases.

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

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

In Anne of Green Gables, L. M. Montgomery wrote, “Life is worth living as long as there’s a laugh in it.”

It’s the last week of classes. Finals are around the corner. It’s unarguably a very stressful time, but wallowing in misery and letting your negative emotions get the better of you is probably not the best strategy to ending the semester in success.

Allow yourself to enjoy the little things, and above all, find something that makes you laugh. It might be a cliche that “laughter is the best medicine,” but it really can help reduce stress, especially if you’re with good company.

THIS WEEK AT FALVEY

Monday, December 4

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

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

Company and Industry Competitive Intelligence 101 Workshop | 5 p.m. | Room 206 | ACS Approved | Free & Open to Villanova Students | Refreshments Served | Register Here

Tuesday, December 5

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

Wednesday, December 6

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

Company and Industry Competitive Intelligence 101 Workshop | 6 p.m. | Room 206 | ACS Approved | Free & Open to Villanova Students | Refreshments Served | Register Here

Thursday, December 7

Falvey Library’s Annual Stress Busting Open House | 1-3 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Villanova Community | Refreshments Served

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

Sunday December 10

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

HOLIDAYS THIS WEEK

Photo by Aleksandra Tanasiienko on Unsplash

If you need a sweet snack to motivate you while studying, today, Dec. 4 is National Cookie Day, a day dedicated to any cookie you can imagine. Chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, snickerdoodles, and sugar cookies. If you really want to add a little festivity, you can enjoy some gingerbread cookies.

If you’re perhaps feeling a little more fancy, National Pastry Day is this Saturday, Dec. 9. Pastries come in hundreds of varieties, flavors, and textures, so whether you’re into croissants, crepes, bear claws, or baklava, this is your excuse to pop into a local bakery and enjoy.

Sunday, Dec. 10, is Nobel Prize Day. Although Nobel events will take place over the week, Sunday is dedicated to the achievements of Nobel Prize recipients, in honor of the first Nobel Prize. If you’re interested to learning more about all of the past recipients, you can browse the list here. This year’s Nobel Prize in Literature goes to Norwegian playwright Jon Fosse, whose works you can check out through Falvey here.

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

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.

Photo by Sudan Ouyang on Unsplash

Musicals naysayers, you might want to take the week off. Musicals are one of the longest-running traditions on the big screen and (of course) on the stage. Something about music has a way of sticking with and moving us, and musicals really capitalize on this.

With workloads increasing and finals coming up, musicals seem like a great way to add a little pep to your step (or to get some emotions out). So, enjoy some musical recs this weekend as you get ready for the end of the semester.

Did you know? If you’re looking for musicals that you can stream–no DVD player required–through Falvey, check out our BroadwayHD Collection here. This collection features filmed live Broadway performances of musicals and plays like Falsettos and Romeo and Juliet. 

If you have 2 minutes and 7 seconds…and like 2000s movies, watch the Mean Girls movie musical trailer. Although the trailer doesn’t really let on, this is a movie-version of the Broadway musical.

Bonus: if you love Reneé Rapp, listen to her singing “World Burn” from Mean Girls The Musical.

If you have 29 minutes and 7 seconds…and think the villains always get the best songs, watch this ranking of Broadway musical villain songs. My personal favorites are “Candy Store,” “Pretty Women,” and “Dentist.”

If you have 1 hour and 28 minutes…and are a fan of kids (or nostalgic) movies, watch The Lion King, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection. Despite being almost 30 years old, The Lion King still manages to hook people in with its beautiful score.

If you have 1 hour and 59 minutes…and love Christina Aguilera’s voice, watch Burlesque, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection.

Bonus: if you prefer the classics, watch Cabaret, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection.

Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

If you have 2 hours and 7 minutes…and like slightly nonsensical, campy musicals, watch Moulin Rouge, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection. Featuring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, this jukebox musical is a wild ride, but the songs are great, and the set design is unbeatable.

If you have 2 hours and 40 minutes…and want to watch my personal favorite musical, watch The Phantom of the Opera, available free to stream on Youtube. Although I grew up on the movie, live performances of Phantom never disappoint.

If you have 7 hours…and have been moved by the musical, read Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, available online through Falvey.

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

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

In Anne of Green Gables, L. M. Montgomery wrote, “Next to trying and winning, the best thing is trying and failing.”

Happy Monday, Wildcats, and welcome back! As we approach the end of the semester, with assignments and exams piling up, there will be more and more opportunities to succeed and to fail. With the foreboding pressure of failing, it’s easy to feel stressed out, overwhelmed, and even like you should just call it quits and do the bare minimum.

But if you don’t try, you almost certainly won’t succeed. So, while still being mindful of your mental health, try your best in these last few weeks of the semester, especially in the classes and areas that are the most important to you and your future. And regardless of the outcome, be proud of yourself and your hard work.

THIS WEEK AT FALVEY

Monday, November 27

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

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

Tuesday, November 28

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

A New Chapter: Women Writing Northern Ireland Now | 6 p.m. | Topper Theater, John and Joan Mullen Performing Arts Center | Free & Open to the Public | RSVP Here

Wednesday, November 29

Panel Discussion on Dana Lloyd’s Land is Kin: Sovereignty, Religious Freedom, and Indigenous Sacred Sites | 3:30-4:30 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | ACS-Approved | Free & Open to the Public | Light Refreshments Served

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

Philosophy and Film Series on “Creativity and Madness”: Stanley Tucci’s The Final Portrait (2017) | 5:30 p.m. | Room 415 | ACS-Approved | Free & Open to Villanova Community | Light Refreshments Served

Thursday, November 30

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

Sunday, December 3

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

HOLIDAYS THIS WEEK

Today, Nov. 27, is National Brand Day. Brands aren’t simply a group of products made by the same company. Brands are an opportunity to support a company with the same values and beliefs as you. Whether you’re in the mood for some retail therapy or are doing some holiday shopping, you can celebrate by buying from a brand that you believe in. If you’re an entrepreneur, this is a great opportunity to celebrate your own brand.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Tomorrow, Nov. 28, is Giving Tuesday, or the National Day of Giving. Celebrated the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, this day is dedicated to the “giving” part of the holiday. To celebrate, you can give money to an important cause, volunteer your time to a local charity, or even donate blood. As Falvey graduate assistant Rebecca discussed in her blog, we are experiencing a blood shortage, and there are currently still spots open to donate at Villanova on both Nov. 27 and Nov. 30.

In the mood for some seasonal sweets? National Peppermint Bark Day is this Friday, Dec. 1. Peppermint bark combines the ultimate winter flavors: mint and chocolate. If you want to get into the holiday spirit, enjoy some peppermint bark.

Got a tight budget this holiday season? Sunday, Dec. 3, is National Make a Gift Day. Although everyone is different, I am of the opinion that homemade gifts are a great way to show your appreciation and tailor the gift to whom you’re giving it. So, if you’re feeling crafty, get out your crochet hooks, markers, recipes, and any other supplies you have and make a homemade gift for someone you love.

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

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

In Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Ferris Bueller said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Happy Monday, Wildcats! With the semester flying by, Thanksgiving break will begin in just a few days. While everyone’s plans for Thanksgiving might not look the same, I hope everyone will be able to enjoy some time with your family, with your friends, and with anyone else that you care about. Life flies by us pretty quick, but it’s important to slow down and cherish the little things, the good moments that make us smile or laugh or take a breath of relief.

So, even if you’re working on projects, studying for an exam, or cooking for a large group of people, enjoy some down time and recharge your mental battery.

THIS WEEK AT FALVEY

Monday, November 20

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

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

HOLIDAYS THIS WEEK

As you likely know, two major holidays, Thanksgiving on Nov. 23 and Black Friday on Nov. 24, are coming up this week. Here are some other holidays to brighten up your week:

Photo by Jingxi Lau on Unsplash

Today, Nov. 20, is the beginning of National Book Week. With Thanksgiving Break coming up this week, it’s the perfect time to crack open a book and read (and don’t worry if you don’t have one, Falvey’s got plenty of options). After reading for class throughout the semester, sometimes it’s nice to remind ourselves what it’s like to read something actually enjoyable. After spending most of the semester reading for my thesis, I might re-read Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows duology to enjoy some leisure time.

Not a big reader? Tomorrow, Nov. 21, is World Television Day. Although it’s not quite break yet, this is still the perfect excuse to watch a couple episodes of your go-to comfort show or to start a new show currently on your watch list.

Thursday, Nov. 23 isn’t just Thanksgiving. It’s also fittingly Eat a Cranberry Day, and because of the holiday, you have plenty of choices. Enjoying some fresh cranberries is a nice way to celebrate, but cranberry sauce (or “relish”) and cranberry pie are both two delicious and festive options.

If you’re not pie-d out after Thanksgiving, Sunday, Nov. 26, is International Cake Day. If your sweet tooth hasn’t been satisfied, enjoy a slice of your favorite cake (with bonus points if it happens to be your birthday).

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

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.

Photo from Kinu Panda on Wikimedia Commons

Running for 40 seasons (and counting) and boasting a theme song that is widely recognizable even by those who haven’t seen the show, Jeopardy! is the ultimate American trivia show. Whether it’s a nostalgic show you remember watching with a loved one or a show you tune into every night, Jeopardy!’s hold in the industry is pretty inarguable.

Coming from a recently converted fan, this weekend’s recs will center on Jeopardy! and even help you brush up on your general trivia knowledge (and who knows, it might be a less stressful way to keep your mind active in preparation for the coming weeks).

If you have 10 minutes…and are big on school spirit, read about how fellow Wildcat Mitch Macek was able to represent Villanova on Jeopardy! last year.

If you have 15 minutes…and are grateful for our amazing librarians, read this article about how libraries and Jeopardy! go hand-in-hand, available online through Falvey.

Bonus: check out this list of librarians on Jeopardy! 

If you have 25 minutes…and want to test out your Jeopardy! potential, take one of their practice tests. There are three practice tests for varying levels, including a test for adults, college students, and teenagers.

If you have 30 minutes…and are free tonight at 7 p.m., watch tonight’s episode of Jeopardy!.

Photo from RTL on Wikimedia Commons

Bonus: if you don’t have access to cable or live TV through a streaming service, you can still watch the first 35 seasons of Jeopardy! for free on PlutoTV or watch some episodes of the current season of Celebrity Jeopardy! online through ABC.

If you have 1 hour…and want to brush up on your trivia knowledge, check out Falvey’s collection of trivia books. From general topics like science and history to more specific topics like World War II, The Hunger Games series, and The World Cup.

Bonus: if you want a challenge, try answering trivia from The $25,000 Challenge: World’s Toughest Trivia Test, available through inter-library loan.

If you have 7 hours…and miss longtime host Alex Trebek, read his memoir The Answer is…: Reflections on My Life, available through inter-library loan.

Bonus: if you want to hear from a historic Jeopardy! champion, read Amy Schneider’s recently released memoir In the Form of a Question: The Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life, available through interlibrary loan.

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

By Annie Stockmal and Rebecca Amrick

Photo courtesy of Villanova Theatre

Falvey Graduate Assistants Rebecca Amrick and Annie Stockmal had the pleasure of seeing Villanova Theatre’s latest production Posterity, and we left with high praises!

Written by playwright Wendy MacLeod, Posterity follows the stories of three families in (literal) snapshots through time as they live, love, and experience loss. It demonstrates that although the props around us, like our technologies and clothing, might change throughout time, the universal experience of living and losing and “the universal longing to freeze time and cling to those we hold dear” is a tale as old as perhaps time itself (and certainly since the inception of photography).

Here are Annie’s and Rebecca’s unique takes on the play:

Annie: In the post-performance talk-back that I attended on Sunday, Nov. 12, playwright Wendy MacLeod said that the bad elevator pitch for Posterity was, “it’s about photography and death.” While that’s certainly not an inaccurate synopsis of the play, it does not do it justice.

Posterity tackles a lot of difficult, yet all too common and relatable, topics in its 75-minute runtime, including death, suicide, mental health treatment and facilities, the ethics of photography, and love, and it does so with care, poignancy, and even, sometimes, humor. It evokes the sentimentality and nostalgia of looking back at the past while capturing the way our moments often fly by us in the present.

MacLeod mentioned in the talk-back that writing this play was a balancing act of toeing the line between mentally exhausting the audience and moving them. While it is certainly a somber, at times difficult, viewing experience, I believe MacLeod, Director Edward Sobel, and all six of the performers succeeded in moving and not exhausting.

Rebecca: Posterity is an incredibly moving and thought-provoking play that addresses serious themes in a respectful yet light-hearted manner. Inspired by the use of photography to memorialize incidents and people, the play takes commemoration to another level by allowing the audience to see snapshots of people’s lives. The role of commemoration in Posterity depicts how pictures sustain and shape memory.

The play is performed by six actors, so most of them play multiple characters. This dual-role helps establish connections between the three families and provides the audience with a visual representation of how the act of living is the same throughout the course of human history. Life, love, and loss are features inherent to humanity, and these powerful experiences pertain to every human being, no matter the time or place.

To learn more about Posterity and its cast and crew and to hear from the Production Dramaturg, check out this virtual playbill.

To find prompts for discussion or contemplation and content guides and warnings for the production, check out the education guide.

If you want to hear directly from the playwright herself, read our interview with Wendy MacLeod on the blog.

Tickets for Posterity are available for purchase here. Get yours now!

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

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

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

In Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, The White Queen said, “You cannot live your life to please others. The choice must be yours.”

While being liked by others is undeniably important in life, living simply to please others can be a fraught, tiresome uphill battle. It’s incredibly difficult to keep up with trying to please everyone, and, at this point in the semester, that’s precious energy you might need to conserve.

It might be hard to make peace with, but understand that no matter what you do, there will almost always be one person who isn’t satisfied or has something negative to say. And, above all, make sure you’re making time to do the things that you love. You’ll be ultimately happier if you allow yourself to make the decisions that are right for you.

THIS WEEK AT FALVEY

Monday, November 13

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

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

Tuesday, November 14

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

Wednesday, November 15

Fall 2023 Falvey Forum Workshop: Policy Map for Practical Purposes | 12-1 p.m. | Virtual | ACS-Approved | Free & Open to the Public | Register Here

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

Philosophy and Film Series on “Creativity and Madness”: Martin Provost’s Violette (2013) | 5:30 p.m. | Room 415 | ACS-Approved | Free & Open to Villanova Community | Light Refreshments Served

Thursday, November 16

2023 Outstanding Faculty Research Award Lecture: Dr. Elizabeth Burgess Dowdell | 1-2:30 p.m. | Room 205 | ACS-Approved | Free & Open to the Public | Light Refreshments Served

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

Sunday, November 19

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

HOLIDAYS THIS WEEK

Photo by Denise Jans on Unsplash

Today, Nov. 13, is World Kindness Day. If you’re feeling charitable, show someone in your life some kindness today, whether it’s a stranger in need of some help or somebody special in your life. Equally important, don’t forgot be kind to yourself today. We’re often our own worst critics, which isn’t entirely a bad thing, but giving yourself some grace is important.

Today also marks the beginning of Geography Awareness Week, a week dedicated to spreading awareness about the importance of geography. If you’re interested in celebrating this week, Falvey’s Digital Scholarship Lab has teamed up with the Department of Geography and the Environment to bring you some great events, which you can check out here. In between events, you can also test your geography knowledge by playing a round of Geoguessr.

If you want to experience the beauties of geography for yourself, National Hiking Day is this Friday, Nov. 17. If you need to de-stress with some physical activity and time outdoors, this is the perfect excuse. Need some local hike recommendations? Check out Falvey Graduate Assistant Rebecca’s “Cat in the Stax” installment on hiking trails around Villanova.

In the mood for a festive fall treat? This Saturday, Nov. 18, is Apple Cider Day. With the chilly weather on the forecast for this weekend, it’s a great opportunity to get cozy inside and enjoy this warm, quintessential fall drink.

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

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.

Photo by Ian MacDonald on Unsplash

War is something that seems to always hold a place in our collective consciousness. Consequently, war is the subject of countless books, movies, shows, and other media. Even excluding all the nonfictional accounts, war fiction is a thriving and seemingly inescapable genre.

In honor of Veterans Day this Saturday, Nov. 11, this weekend’s recs will explore war fiction and highlight some of the standouts in the genre with some nonfiction Veterans Day recs along the way.

Content warning: due to the subject matter, the majority of the films recommended are rated R.

If you have 5 minutes…and are a veteran, scroll through this list of Veterans Day freebies you can enjoy this weekend.

Bonus: if you’re a veteran, make sure to check out Villanova’s Office of Veterans and Military Service Members.

If you have 10 minutes…and want to learn more about the history of Veterans Day, read this article.

Bonus: check out this Q&A-style guide to Veterans Day.

If you have 15 minutes…and want to learn more about an issue that disproportionately impacts veterans, read this article about veteran homelessness.

If you have 45 minutes and 55 seconds…and want to know how realistic many of these war fiction films are, watch this video of veterans and military service members rating their accuracy.

If you have 2 hours and 33 minutes…and want to watch one of the most prolific yet somewhat controversial Vietnam war films, watch Apocalypse Now, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection.

Bonus: if you want to watch an incredibly brutal war movie based on a true story, watch Hacksaw Ridge. It follows the story of pacifist Pfc. Desmond T. Doss, played by Andrew Garfield, who was drafted into WWII and served as an army medic and earned a Medal of Honor. This movie is incredibly harrowing, but it’s truly worth watching at least once.

If you have 2 hours and 34 minutes…and love Spike Lee films, watch Da Bloods 5. This follows a group of Black Vietnam War veterans who return to Vietnam to retrieve the body of their fallen commander and, in a treasure hunt of sorts, to retrieve the gold they found and buried in battle.

If you have 2 hours and 49 minutes…and haven’t seen it yet, watch Saving Private Ryan, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection. Perhaps it was just me, but this is the first war movie I remember watching as a child, and it stuck with me.

Bonus: if you want to watch a PG-13 war movie (a somewhat rare occurrence due to the subject matter), watch War Horse, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection.

If you have 6 hours…and prefer books, read All Quiet on the Western Front, available at Falvey. No, it wasn’t just an award-winning movie from the 2023 awards season. It was adapted from this classic novel set in WWI.

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

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

In Siege and Storm, Leigh Bardugo wrote, “When people say impossible, they usually mean improbable.”

Happy Monday, Wildcats! Sometimes it’s hard to overcome your own doubts. It’s easy to underestimate yourself, making a lot of things seem impossible for you. But when we say impossible, we actually mean improbable, and unlike impossibilities, you can always beat the odds no matter how stacked against you they might be.

My advice: don’t let your doubts stop you from going for it, whatever “it” is for you, just because it’s improbable.

THIS WEEK AT FALVEY

Monday, November 6

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

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

Tuesday, November 7

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

Wednesday, November 8

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

Thursday, November 9

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

Friday, November 10

2023 Undergraduate Research Symposium at Villanova University | 1-4 p.m. | Villanova Room, Connelly Center | Free & Open to the Public

Intersectional Reflections Kickoff Dinner Discussion | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | Room 10A, Garey Hall | Free & Open to Graduate Students | Refreshments Served | Register Here

Match Research Program for First Year Students Application Deadline | 11:59 p.m. | More Information Available Here

Sunday, November 12

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

HOLIDAYS THIS WEEK

As you might be aware, this week boasts two major holidays: Election Day on this Tuesday, Nov. 7, and Veterans Day on this Saturday, Nov. 11. Although those are both important holidays, here are some fun holidays you can celebrate this week:

Photo by Manny Becerra on Unsplash

If you’re in the mood for some good eats, today, Nov. 6, is National Nachos Day. Whether it’s Taco Bell, some microwaved cheese on some tortilla chips, or loaded nachos from your go-to spot, today is the day to enjoy this delicious Tex-Mex staple.

As mentioned above, this Tuesday, Nov. 7, is Election Day. Although it’s not a “big” election, voting in your local elections can actually have a bigger impact on your everyday life than you might realize. In fact, as the ACLU points out, with a State Supreme Court seat on the ballot this year in Pennsylvania, this election is pivotal in deciding the rights of all Pennsylvanians, including your fellow Villanovans. Not sure who is running? Check out Vote411 to learn more about who will be on your ballot and what they stand for. If you’re registered to vote at Villanova, visit Let’s Vote Nova’s page to find your Villanova-specific polling stations and other important voting information for Villanova students. You can also check out last year’s Weekends Recs on the Pennsylvania Midterm Elections to explore the importance of voting.

Got a sweet tooth? This Saturday, Nov. 11, is also National Sundae Day. I know ice cream and cold weather aren’t typically enjoyed together, but you can still savor the sweet taste of an ice cream sundae from the comfort of the warm indoors.

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