By Ethan Shea

Halloween is about confronting our biggest fears. Usually this means coming face to face with a killer clown, giant spider, or blood-thirsty vampire, but in this week’s “Cat in the Stax,” I want to talk about something even scarier.

Sometimes the most frightening things are everyday occurrences. Social anxieties stemming from a fear of failing tests, speaking to crowds or eating lunch alone are very real concerns that you are more likely to encounter than a menacing circus performer. Since the days are becoming a bit shorter, it’s also important to keep the risk of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in mind.

To combat these fears, I want to list a few strategies and resources that will help you enjoy a (mostly) scare-free Halloween.

Villanova University Health Services Building

Villanova University Health Services

Perhaps the most obvious mental health resource is Villanova University’s Health Services, but there may be some helpful information you weren’t aware of. For example, did you know that services at the Counseling Center are completely free to current students? Counseling can help with just about anything, from concerns about depression, shyness, or just adjusting to college in general.

Personally, I think everyone should have some sort of counselor or therapist, even if you think you’re feeling great. We routinely see doctors for check-ups on our physical health, so why should mental health be treated any differently? Additionally, I find these Health Services mental health infosheets to be extremely helpful and informative, so be sure to check them out!

Academic Resources

Another common concern is academic anxiety. Counseling can be helpful in dealing with this sort of stress, but I also believe it’s helpful to know there are people here to help you with your studies. Keeping that in mind, make sure you make time this semester to visit the Writing Center in room 210 of Falvey Library and the Mathematics Learning Resource Center (MLRC), which is close by in room 204. These resources are here to say you’re not alone. College is a team effort!

What’s SAD?

Seasonal Affective Disorder, which is more commonly known as SAD, is a clinical depression that occurs during the winter months. Although we are not quite there yet, the weather is cooling down, and the days are becoming shorter. It’s important to be proactive with mental health and to anticipate potential problems. Especially since we live in the Northeast, SAD is something that should be on your radar. Only 1% of people in Florida get SAD, while 10% of people in New Hampshire do, so the further north you travel, the greater the risk.

As a preventive measure, make sure you routinely exercise, sleep well, and expose yourself to sunlight. Even during the winter months, I know going for runs or walks outside makes a huge difference in my mental health. The sunlight and crisp air always has a positive impact, but bundle up!

I know doing everything at once, having fun, doing homework, and getting adequate amounts of sleep may seem impossible at times, but that’s why the aforementioned resources are available. With cool weather and fun activities like pumpkin carving and apple picking, there’s plenty of good times to be had, so don’t let the season’s scares bring you down!

Ethan Shea is a first-year English Graduate Student at Villanova University and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Memorial Library.

Falvey Memorial Library’s 205 is well known for its highly functional space, which can host as many as 60 people in lecture or group meeting configurations. It allows for highly flexible presentations, with two white boards and a large monitor, as well as a podium with HDMI and VGA inputs.

This summer the multi-purpose room received new mother-of-pearl paint on the walls and a striking laminate flooring. The refresh of 205 was only just complete when it welcomed a week-long orientation event ahead of our students return.

If it’s possible, 205 might be an even more popular events space this upcoming academic year!

Shawn Proctor, MFA, is communications and marketing program manager at Falvey Memorial Library.

Sarah Hughes recently joined Research Services and Scholarly Engagement as the Nursing and Life Sciences Librarian. Research Services and Scholarly Engagement works to support research, teaching, and learning at Villanova University; enabling the discovery of, access to, and stewardship of a vast array of scholarly resources.

A native of New Jersey, Hughes has a passion for research, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Rutgers University and a Master of Science in Library and Information Science from the Pratt Institute. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Professional Communication from William Paterson University.

“I enjoyed spending time in the library as an undergrad and eventually discovered that I wanted to pursue a career that was both research oriented, but also personal, where I helped people,” she says.

Her interest in the field began when she enrolled in a medical librarianship course taught onsite at Weil Cornell Medicine in Manhattan. “I was in the same building that was being used by the doctors, residents, and nurses. It was exciting. I liked the idea that the research I was assisting the community in could be used for making advances in medicine,” Hughes says.

Furthering her knowledge of the profession, Hughes worked several internships in various hospitals and institutions, including the New York Academy of Medicine, the Manhattan VA Medical Center, and the University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro. The experience she gained helped make for a smooth transition from medical librarian to academic librarian.

Hughes is familiar with academic libraries due to her work with nursing students at Dominican College and teaching library instruction courses to undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students at William Paterson University before transitioning to Falvey Memorial Library. Hughes knew Falvey Library was right for her when she saw that the scholarly librarian position focused exclusively on nursing and life sciences. “I have a deep respect for nurses. Working in the emergency department at Princeton, I was amazed by all of the tasks the nurses dealt with during their shifts.”

Hughes says she is excited to meet the students and faculty in the fall and encourages the Villanova community to reach out and set up an appointment. “I can assist nursing students with finding and using databases, utilizing citation management tools, and pointing them towards great evidence-based practice resources.” Faculty in the Fitzpatrick College of Nursing can also contact Hughes about research consultations. “Research is a big undertaking and takes a great amount of time—months, sometimes years. We’re exploring what tools the library can offer to help scholars in the sciences and other disciplines. Given that Villanova is R2: doctoral university, the stakes and the expectations are higher, and we need to support them.”

In her free time, Hughes enjoys going to see live music, watching foreign and documentary films, exploring new restaurants, traveling, and spending time outdoors kayaking. An avid tennis fan, she likes watching her favorite players Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

“My door is always open to students and faculty. The Fitzpatrick College of Nursing is very prestigious, so I’m thrilled to have a great group of students with which to work. There’s so many different avenues they can take once they finish their degree. I’m excited to help prepare students for their time at Villanova and beyond.”

The sky over Falvey Memorial Library, as taken by Keith Mathews, Library student-worker.