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!

A group of volunteers participate in a sock collection

Villanova’s Day of Service occurred this past Saturday. This annual event is organized in honor of the University’s patron saint, St. Thomas of Villanova, who was known for being charitable to the poor and marginalized. Each year, over 5,000 students, faculty, staff, alumni,and their families work with neighborhood agencies to perform acts of service throughout Greater Philadelphia.

If you missed this year’s Day of Service, don’t fret! There are still plenty of volunteer opportunities you can engage in throughout the year. Two upcoming events you can volunteer for are The Special Olympics Pennsylvania Fall Festival (Nov. 3-5) and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service (Jan. 15, 2024). Register for these events today!

Looking to make an impact in your local community? Villanova’s Campus Ministry offers smaller service opportunities throughout the semester.

Also be on the lookout for the Holiday Outreach Programs when they come around. Campus Ministry hosts a Thanksgiving Drive in November which involves delivering Thanksgiving meals to families in need. Volunteers are needed to help collect and deliver donations. In December, a Christmas Outreach provides multiple options to give to others. You could “adopt a family” though Villanova’s partnership with North Light Community Center, donate gift cards or contribute to Amazon Wishlists, support a toy drive, or help deliver gifts.

Villanova provides many chances to get involved in the surrounding community and make a difference in the lives of others. Please consider donating some of your time this semester to helping those in need. You generosity truly makes a difference!

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

Hi, I’m Rebecca Amrick, Falvey’s newest Cat in the Stax! I’ll be writing 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!

Is the semester starting to get a little intense for you? Do you feel like the work’s beginning to pile up? Feel a need to de-stress? Check out these classic comfort movies! They can be a great way to relax and take a well-deserved break. Give yourself the night off and watch a movie from the following list:

Legally Blonde

Reese Witherspoon stars in this fun comedy as a sorority girl who attends Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend. Along the way, she discovers she is more than just a ditzy fashionista and learns what she wants out of her life.

Did you know that Falvey Library has a streaming service? Well, it does! You can watch Legally Blonde here.

Ocean’s Eleven

In the mood for some action? This heist movie features great characters played by George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts and more. Ocean’s Eleven follows parolee Danny Ocean and his crew of thieves as they attempt to rob three Las Vegas casinos. This movie is offered on Max (formerly HBO).

Pride and Prejudice

This suggestion is for all you romance lovers and Jane Austen fans. This 2005 film adaptation of Austen’s beloved book explores the relationship between Elizabeth Bennett, a member of English gentry, and Fitzwilliam Darcy, a rich aristocrat, and how they overcome their initial dislike of one another and find love. Pride and Prejudice is currently available on Netflix, but the Library also has it on DVD if you don’t have a subscription.

Inside Out

Sometimes, a good way to relieve stress is to just cry it out. Pixar’s Inside Out is a heartfelt movie that will give you a good cry and an emotional reset. This movie follows a young girl named Riley and her five central emotions as Riley’s family moves to a new state. This film can be found on Disney+.

Clueless

Clueless is a coming-of-age comedy that tells the story of Cher Horowitz, a rich, popular high school student in Beverly Hills, Calif. While giving a new friend a makeover and playing matchmaker for two of her teachers, Cher begins to examine her own existence and values. You can either check this movie out on DVD from the Library or stream it.

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

Hi, I’m Rebecca Amrick, Falvey’s newest Cat in the Stax! I’ll be writing 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!

Picture by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash.com

Break out your sweatshirts and pumpkin recipes because fall is finally here! The first day of fall is this Saturday, Sept. 23. This colorful season is marked by changing leaves, cooler temperatures, and the sun setting before 6pm. Yet it is the Autumnal Equinox that officially marks the arrival of fall. This year, the equinox will occur on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 2:50am EST in the Northern Hemisphere.

But what is the Autumnal Equinox? An equinox is an astronomical event when the Sun crosses the “celestial equator.” The celestial equator is not Earth’s equator but rather an imaginary extension of Earth’s equator into space. The equinox occurs when the Sun’s center crosses this line.

Fun Fact: Day and night are almost equal in length on the Autumnal Equinox! Equinox comes from the Latin words aequus and nox which mean “equal” and “night” respectively.

Below are poetry collections about Fall to get you ready for the season:

Autumn. A Poem. by James Thompson

Autumn Harvest: Selected Poems by Stanley B. Frost

Autumn: Twenty Poems by Guillaume Apollinaire

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

Hi, I’m Rebecca Amrick, Falvey’s newest Cat in the Stax! I’ll be writing 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!

This Friday, Sept. 15, marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the cultures and people of Hispanic and Latino descent. More specifically, recognizing and honoring the influence and achievements of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

In honor of the approaching holiday, I would like to highlight three important figures and their contributions to the Hispanic/Latinx community.

Julia Alvarez (Photo by Brandon Cruz González

Julia Alvarez

Though born in New York City in 1950, Julia lived in the Dominican Republic until she was ten years old, which was when she and her family moved back to the United States. She attended Middlebury College and graduated in 1971 before moving on to Syracuse University to earn her Master’s in Creative Writing. A prolific writer, much of Alvarez’s work explores the immigrant experience and bicultural identity, as seen in her novel How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents.

Dolores Huerta (Photo by Jay Godwin)

Dolores Huerta

Dolores Huerta was born in April of 1930 in New Mexico. After graduating from Delta College, she taught elementary school in Stockton, CA before she was moved to help improve the working conditions of migrant laborers. She joined the Community Service Organization in 1955 where she met Cesar Chavez, and the two later founded the United Farm Workers Union. Huerta fought for to provide workers livable wages, safe working conditions, and protections through non-violent protests, boycotts, and strikes. Her negotiations with companies on workers’ behalves earned her the nickname “The Dragon Lady.”

Jorge Ramos (Photo by Bill Ingalls)

Jorge Ramos

Jorge Ramos is a bilingual journalist who was born in Mexico in 1958 and later moved to America. In 1986, he became the anchorman for the Spanish broadcast Noticiero Univision. As an anchor, in both English and Spanish programs, he interviewed many presidents and international leaders such as Barrack Obama, Fidel Castra, and Nicolas Madura. Ramos is known for asking tough questions and holding leaders accountable as well as for advocating for immigrants.

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

Hi, I’m Rebecca Amrick, Falvey’s newest Cat in the Stax! I’ll be writing 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!

As you adjust to a different environment and new schedule, you may be trying to work out a new daily routine. Whether this means setting aside time to exercise, planning get-togethers with friends, or even figuring out when and where to eat in between classes, you’re trying to juggle academics and a social life and still find time for hobbies and relaxation. It’s a lot, and too often it feels like there is just not enough time in the day.

In this article, I will provide some tips on how you can properly organize your time so you can do what you need to do while still having space to do what you want to do. I’ll apply each piece of advice to one of my own habits that I’m trying to develop to make it more concrete and understandable.

Decide Priorities

What do you want to focus on this semester? Besides your schoolwork, of course! Do you want to exercise more? Read some books on your TBR? Or do you simply want some time to rest each day? Deciding what you want to accomplish will help you set a routine you can be excited about.

Personal Example: I want to run more. I’m planning to run a half marathon later this year, so I need to set aside time to train for it.

Photo by Glenn Cartsens-Peters

Set Small Goals

Simply saying “I want to run more” is daunting and vague. For each priority you set, break it down into smaller, measurable pieces. The measurable part is important: having distinct, quantitative goals makes carrying them out easier. It will also allow you to see how you progress in a habit.

Personal Example: To train for the race, I’ll start by running for 20 minutes each day. This number will increase every week: 20 minutes this week, 25 minutes the next, and so on.

Write it Out

It might help you stay on track to write out your schedule for the day. Record your daily goals and schedule when you’ll achieve certain accomplishments. This can be through an academic or daily planner, a calendar, or even a simple to-do list.

Personal Example: I find it helpful to keep a planner/to-do list where I schedule my tasks for each hour (or couple of hours). I sit down every night and plan out what needs to be done the next day and when I’m going to do it.

Be Consistent

Consistence is key! If you don’t stick by your routine, you’ll never achieve your goals. It takes 21 days for something to become a habit. If you’re struggling now, keep at it! It will get easier!

If you still need help managing your time and staying loyal to your routine, check out these resources from the Library:

• 10 Steps to Successful Time Management by Cyndi Maxey and Kevin O’Connor
• Organizing for Success by Kenneth Zeigler
• More Time for You: A Powerful System to Organize Your Work and Get Things Done by Rosmary Tator and Alesia Latson
• Managing Time: Focus on What Matters, Avoid Distractions, Get Things Done by Safari Books Online

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

Hi, I’m Rebecca Amrick, Falvey’s newest Cat in the Stax! I’ll be writing 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!

First, I would like to welcome everybody back to campus (or simply welcome you to Villanova if this is your first year)! I hope your first week of classes went well and that you’re excited to begin this new semester.

Seeing as how tomorrow is National Zoo Day, I thought I would talk about America’s oldest zoo: The Philadelphia Zoo.

A little history lesson for you: the Philadelphia Zoo opened to the public on July 1, 1874, 15 years after its charter was signed. The opening of the zoo was greatly delayed due to the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.

The Philadelphia Zoo is one of many firsts: not only was it the first zoo in the United States, but it was also the first zoo in the world to build an on-site animal care center. It is the site of America’s first successful orangutan and chimpanzee births. It is also opened the country’s first Children’s Zoo.

The zoo’s website shows their commitment to wildlife conservation, as it houses over 1,700 endangered animals. Additionally, the Philadelphia Zoo is AZA Accredited. This means that the zoo has been evaluated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and was determined to meet the highest standards of animal care and welfare.

If you’re passionate about animal rights and wildlife conservation, you can learn more by checking out Falvey’s Environmental Science Subject Guide. The Library has many resources on all aspects of this subject, from wildlife management to the moral and ethical aspects of zoos.

Here are a few such texts:

• Zoo Ethics: The Challenges of Compassionate Conservation by Jenny Gray
• Wildlife Conservation and Management by Ashok Kumar Bishoyi
• Wildlife: Perceptions, Threats and Conservation by Cheryl Ward
• Wildlife at the Zoo–Documentary Series

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

By Ethan Shea

Photo by Fatih Kopcal from pexels.com

After 70 recurring blogs and two years at Falvey, this will be my final “Cat in the Stax.”

This particular blog is special for a number of reasons, but the creative freedom that comes with being the Cat in the Stax has been the most valuable for me. When I first took on the role, I wondered how I could possibly come up with a new topic every week, but after two years of writing, I feel like I have just begun.

My creative process for this blog has remained relatively simple. I pinpoint whichever niche topic currently piques my interest, and I write about it. Whether it’s outer space or reality television, with the Library’s endless resources, Falvey is always relevant to the conversation.

Photo from Falvey’s doughnut-filled stress buster

Despite my passion for the “Cat in the Stax,” my time at Falvey cannot be defined by a single blog. Rather, one of my favorite parts about working in the Library is the excitement in-person events never fail to bring.

Whether it’s a lecture by a world-renowned academic, or a stress buster involving hundreds of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, you never know what you may encounter when you enter Falvey. My favorite recurring event involves the Pals for Life therapy animals who always brighten up my day. You can check out photos from their most recent visit to Falvey in last week’s Foto Friday blog.

In addition to the “Cat in the Stax,” with the help of fellow Graduate Assistant Annie Stockmal and undergraduate student worker Anna Jankowski, I’ve also taken great pleasure in perfecting Falvey’s new “In Case You Missed It” (ICYMI) YouTube series and rejuvenating the classic “Curious Cat” blog with video content.

My time as Falvey’s Cat in the Stax has also taught me a lot about theatre. Thanks to Villanova Theatre’s magnificent productions and generosity toward Falvey’s Graduate Assistants, I’ve been able to both attend and write about several shows performed in Villanova’s very own John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts.

This may be my final “Cat in the Stax,” but it is certainly not the last Falvey will see of me. Without a doubt, I will be back to reminisce on the past and take in the big changes to come for the Library and our campus community.

Thank you to everyone who has read these blogs over the years, and a special thanks to everyone on the Communications and Marketing Team for all your support!

I’ve always said I’m a dog person … but now I’ll always be a cat at heart.

Ethan Shea is a second-year graduate student in the English Department and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.

By Ethan Shea

Photo from pexels.com by Dominika Roseclay

The saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers,” but it’s May and things are still looking pretty damp. Regardless of the weather, this month is sure to bring lots of natural floral decor.

Our campus is looking green, and flowers have already bloomed, but with the help of Falvey, you can enjoy May’s flowers from the comfort of your home.

Flowers have inspired all sorts of literature, prose and poetry alike, for millennia. They’re usually symbolic of broader themes of texts, such as new life, purity, passion, beauty, and love.

Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs. Dalloway begins with the line: “Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.” Here, flowers can be read as traditional symbols of femininity, but they also represent the beauty that can be found in everyday life. Because this entire novel takes place over the course of just one day, finding beauty in the little things is critical to the story.

Lotus Flower photo from pexels.com by Guryan

In Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, floral imagery is found throughout the play. One passage reads: “I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, / Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, / Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, / With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine.” The magic in this play repeatedly appears alongside the budding natural world.

Some poetic works worth checking out that concern flowers are “The Breath of a Rose” by Langston Hughes, “Roses Only” from Marianne Moore’s poetry book Observations, and Charles Baudelaire’s Les Fleurs du Mal, which translates to The Flowers of Evil.

Lastly, Homer’s epic Odyssey has a section based on flowers. Book Nine describes Odysseus and his crew landing on the island of the Lotus Eaters, who live lackadaisically eating the fruit of lotus flowers. Those who eat the lotus crave nothing more than to relax on the island, delaying their return home. A homeric parallel to this section of the Odyssey can be found in episode five of James Joyce’s Ulysses as well.

Ethan Shea is a second-year graduate student in the English Department and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.

By Ethan Shea

Pop-Tarts! They’re everyone’s favorite breakfast treat.

Although they’re traditionally meant for mornings I personally believe it’s always time for a Pop-Tart.

After learning I share a birthday with Pop-Tarts, as the company was founded on Sept. 14, I couldn’t resist writing this week’s Cat in the Stax on the history of one of my favorite snacks.

The story of Pop-Tarts begins in 1963 when Kellogg thought of a treat that was going to be called “Fruit Scone.” Luckily, that name didn’t stick, and Pop-Tarts replaced the lackluster title before the product’s official launch in 1964. The name Pop-Tarts originated as a pun on the Pop-Art movement of the sixties.

The very first Pop-Tarts were released in Cleveland, Ohio with their four signature flavors: blueberry, strawberry, brown sugar cinnamon, and apple-currant. No one seemed to know what a currant was, so Pop-Tarts were quick to drop that name from their lineup.

Part of what made Pop-Tarts so successful were their advertisements. In the 1970s, Milton the Toaster became a beloved mascot for the brand. However, Milton’s time with Pop-Tarts did not last long.

Interestingly, the Frosted Pop-Tarts we know and love were not released until 1967, as frosting that could withstand the heat of a toaster was yet to be developed at the time of the treat’s initial release.

The Breakfast Book by Andrew Dalby

It may have taken 37 years, but the weaponization of this breakfast snack was inevitable. In 2001, the United States military dropped 2.4 million Pop-Tarts over Afghanistan during their attack on the country.

The U.S. government claims this choice was made to introduce civilians to American food, fight hunger, and make a case for America’s good intentions in the region. I don’t think Pop-Tarts cancel out bombs, but the political and military use of the product is nonetheless fascinating.

Although I think Pop-Tarts need not be limited to breakfast, the snack is prominently associated with the most important meal of the day. Here at Falvey, there are several texts with all sorts of information on breakfast that may change the way you look at your morning meals. Here are just a few:

• Breakfast: Nutrition, Consumption and Health Benefits
• The Breakfast Book
• The English Breakfast: The Biography of a National Meal, with Recipes
• The Art of Breakfast: How to Bring B & B Entertaining Home

Make sure you comment your favorite Pop-Tarts flavor down below … unless it’s not s’mores, which is the correct answer to that question.

Ethan Shea is a second-year graduate student in the English department and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.

By Ethan Shea

Loch Ness Monster Image from BBC/Getty Images

You probably know Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster (as shown above), but what about some more local creatures?

Cryptozoology is a branch of pseudoscience that studies creatures who are not recognized by science and whose existence has not been proven. This could be because a creature has gone extinct or because it has never been proven to exist. These creatures are grouped under the overarching label of cryptids.

Just a few famous cryptids have taken the vast majority of the spotlight from the lesser known ones. That’s why for this week’s installment of Cat in the Stax, I’ll be calling attention to some of Pennsylvania’s hometown cryptids.

Squonk Image: “Fearsome Critters” by Henry Tryon

Squonk

No, the Squonk isn’t just the sound of your dog’s battered squeaky toy. This cryptid is said to live in the Pocono Mountains of northern Pennsylvania. It is a pig-like creature with wrinkly, wart-covered skin and tusks. The defining feature of the Squonk is its ability to dissolve into a pool of tears when it is threatened, making it impossible to capture.

Raystown Ray

The Raystown Ray is Pennsylvania’s own Loch Ness monster. Residing in Raystown Lake, Ray has appeared as a large, blurred figure swimming just below the surface of the lake. Luckily, this Ray is most likely a herbivore, as there is no evidence of attacks. Despite its name, the Raystown Ray is not exactly any sort of ray, it seems to be similar in build to the aforementioned Loch Ness monster, but no one knows what it looks like in great detail.

Montgomery County Monster/Bryn Athyn Beast

This cryptid is of the “dogman” category, which essentially means it seems to be a large, bipedal canine. This creature was not spotted in Pennsylvania until the 1990s, but reports of dogman creatures in the United States date back to the late-eighteenth century. As recently as late 2022, paranormal investigators traveled to the region to search for the allusive Bryn Athyn Beast.

Hellbender photo: ncwildlife.org and TR Russ

Eastern Hellbender

Okay, this animal is not actually a cryptid, but because of environmental threats, it could one day become one. Not to mention that because of its size, this animal certainly looks mythical. The Eastern Hellbender is both the Pennsylvania state amphibian and the largest amphibian in North America. These salamanders can grow up to 29 inches long and way more than five pounds. In some states, this creature is already extinct, and local populations have been declining for more than 40 years. Currently, land preservation and research on breeding Hellbenders in captivity are being carried out to protect these beautiful, slimy critters.

To learn more about cryptozoology, check out our collection here at Falvey!

Ethan Shea is a second-year graduate student in the English department and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.