By Ethan Shea

“Excerpt from Belle Air 1969”

As Villanova Theatre’s 2021 – 2022 Season begins this week with performances of James Ijames’ White, this excerpt from the 1969 edition of Belle Air reminds us of another time Villanova’s theatre program changed venues. The snippet describes the theatre’s “new location in Vasey Hall” with an enthusiasm similar to current attitudes toward the upcoming inaugural performance in the John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts.

This new beginning gives us an opportunity to reflect on the changes Villanova has underwent since 1969. Upcoming performances of White will challenge audiences to reckon with “racism, misogyny and cultural appropriation”, contrasting the lack of diversity in the image above and reminding us of the importance of continuously striving to embody an accessible culture of inclusion.

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

This photo from the 1991 Belle Air shows senior Rory Finmeister working on his senior project on one of Falvey’s computers.

Although long nights in front of the computer, never-ending group meetings and tedious hours in the Library isn’t anything new for students today, our computers are definitely way newer. Today’s TBT is deceptively familiar if only the computer was a MacBook Air as opposed to the device pictured here.

Jenna Newman is a graduate assistant in Falvey Memorial Library and a graduate student in the Communication Department.

The dorm is the first home away from home for many college students and a place that you can really make your own over the course of a semester. Whether that’s decorating with posters or bringing your favorite blanket or pillow from home, it’s those little comfort items that really make it homey. Check out this throwback picture from the 1968 Belle Air looking at the “cinder block bag of potpourri” – the dorm room.

Jenna Newman is a graduate assistant in Falvey Memorial Library and a graduate student in the Communication Department.

In honor of the Christmas countdown being in full swing, for the next three weeks our throwback Thursdays are going to focus on past Christmases at Villanova. For our first Christmas throwback, we’re taking it back a decade to the 2010-2011 Belle Air. 

The article pictured is entitled “Coming Together for the Holidays” and talks about how more often than not instead of being full of cookies and carolling, the beginning of December is a time of all-nighters, caffeine, and stressing out. Despite finals looming, the Villanova community came together and hosted Merry Christmas Week Villanova, including the annual Tree Lighting ceremony, a gingerbread-house making competition, and a Holiday Bazaar to shop in.

A decade later, the world is looking very different, but those same ideas of coming together and giving yourself a brain break are so important. Take a moment after reading this and think about who you are able to come together with this holiday season, whether it’s in person or virtual. Be present in those moments and remember the connections that are the most important.

The 1964 Belle Air was dedicated to the United State’s 35th president, John F. Kennedy, following his assassination in November 1963. Vice president Lyndon B. Johnson then became the 36th President of the United States. He then went on to win the 1964 Presidential Election in a landslide.

In preparing for the 2020 election, join the library for our 2020 U.S. Presidential Election Series. The first virtual event takes place today, Oct. 8, 1-2 p.m. Camille Burge, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Political, will discuss “Race and the Election.” For more information and the Zoom link, click here.

Also, if you haven’t yet – remember to register to vote! For information on getting registered, check out this post.

We suppose we could have gone with These Boots Are Made for Walking as a suitable lyrical caption for this 50-year old photo of a lovesick Wildcat couple gazing across a snowy Mendel Field.

But it’s Valentine’s Weekend and we’re in the mood for love!

So instead, we’re going to imagine that it’s the other #1 hit from February 1966 – Lou Christie’s Lightin’ Strikes – that’s the soundtrack in the heads of these cooing ‘Cats. Admittedly, its lyrics are primarily about a guy not quite ready to settle down, but there really is a chapel there! And it is just around the bend from these two and surrounded by what probably is a dozen pines or so.

We just have to head to the Digital Library’s helpful  Arboreana to make sure.  🙂

Scanned from the 1966 Belle Air.

Other than where are the restrooms (through the lounge doors, to your left) and when is Holy Grounds open (a bit trickier during summer months – check their website), here are the questions most often asked by visiting alumni!

Am I able to look at past issues of The Villanovan?

Yes! The collected issues of the Villanovan and the Villanova Monthly are available here. Issues are fully searchable from the Library Catalog and are in pdf format for easy reading, printing and downloading.

Search the fulltext in the Digital Library search box or in the library Search tab.  Selected content is available to the Villanova Community members from 1995-current in the Lexis-Nexis database.

Print copies of articles published since 1995 can be requested at the front desk.  When requesting an issue, please use the call number LD4834 .S75V (Garey Hall).

Falvey has an index, in excel format, to assist in finding specific articles published in the Villanovan from 1992 through 2006.

Can I look at old Belle Air yearbooks?

Yes! These are not digitized, but the library does has paper format only of the yearbooks available for browsing during library hours. Check our home page for hours – which do often vary during this time of year.

Here is the following information on the title and holdings:

Title: Belle-air. Publisher: [Villanova, Pa. : Villanova College, 1922- . Call Number: LD4834 .S75

Available Volume  Holdings: 1922, 1924-1941, 1943-2004, 2006- to present. Ask at Circulation for the specific volume.

Am I still entitled to use the library as an alumni?

Yes! VU alumni are eligible for a free courtesy membership that allows borrowing privileges and on-site access to most of our online databases. To apply, simply come to the Falvey circulation desk with a photo ID.  Check out the  ‘Alumni — Courtesy Membership’ and ‘Courtesy Member Borrowing’ pages for more information:

Villanova Alumni and Residents of Radnor or Lower Merion townships may apply annually for borrowing privileges and on site access to subscription databases. There is no membership fee for these privileges.

Villanova University Catalogs

Are you on social media?

Yes! We are on social media! Follow both the main library and the digital library on a wide selection of platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, GoodReads, Google+ and Pinterest! Or, get a great sampling of all of them on our new Rebelmouse account.