QUOTE OF THE WEEK

In The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, “There is nothing like looking if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”

We’re all here at Villanova to obtain some type of deeper knowledge or experience, in most cases a degree, but sometimes what you find in college is much more than a (still important) framed diploma or a resume-booster. You find friends, you find hobbies, you even find yourself.

This week, give yourself some time to go out and find something, something that makes you happy, something that makes you mindful, even something you hate. You never know what you might find if you look.

THIS WEEK AT FALVEY

Monday, September 19

Mindfulness Monday | 1-1:30 p.m. | Virtual | Free & Open to Villanova Students, Faculty, and Staff

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

Wednesday, September 21

Fall 2022 Falvey Forum Workshop: Using Zotero Citation Manager | 12-1 p.m. | Virtual | Free & Open to the Villanova Community | Register Here

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

Thursday, September 22

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

Friday, September 23

Villanova Gaming Society Meeting | 2:30-4:30 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Public

HOLIDAYS THIS WEEK

Photo by Mike Swigunski on Unsplash

As many of you may already know, tomorrow is 1842 Day, our very own Villanova holiday of gratitude and giving. You can celebrate by showing your support and making a donation to a campus resource that you feel passionate about or has impacted your ‘Nova experience for the better. To return some of the gratitude, five lucky people who give a gift to the library will receive some Falvey swag.

Tomorrow is National Voter Registration Day. Celebrate, if you haven’t already, by registering to vote (and check out this blog if you want some helpful links and information about the Pennsylvania midterm elections).

Thursday, Sept. 22, is Hobbit Day. If you’re a fellow LOTR fan and feeling festive, celebrate by reading any part of the classic series, watching the movie adaptations, or by eating “second breakfast” and “elevensies,” as Tolkien’s Bilbo Baggins would have wanted. I know I’ll be rewatching The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. How could you go wrong with Christopher Lee, Treebeard, and the Battle of Helm’s Deep?

Friday is Celebrate Bisexuality Day. Did you know that according to research from Gates in 2011, bisexuals make up more than half of all LGB individuals? That’s a significant portion of the LGBTQ+ community that identifies with bisexuality. You can celebrate by showing your own bi pride, engaging with a bisexual artist or performer (with options like David Bowie, Alan Cummings, Megan Fox, and Amy Winehouse, the options are endless), or by learning more about the community.

Annie Stockmal is a graduate student in the Communication Department and graduate assistant in Falvey Library.

The Villanova community is cordially invited to join us for a taste of mindfulness meditation on Mondays from 1-1:30 p.m. this fall. This virtual series began with the first meditation on Monday, Aug. 29, and will run on Monday afternoons throughout the semester until the last session on Monday, Dec. 19.

Mindfulness Mondays will offer a comfortable space where you are guided and encouraged to stop and focus on the “here and now.” Mindfulness is proven to reduce stress and enhance well being, which can be beneficial to all faculty, staff, and students.

Sessions will take place each week via Zoom. Please follow this link to join each week: https://villanova.zoom.us/j/99049034689

Mindfulness Mondays are presented by Campus Ministry and co-sponsored by Falvey Memorial Library. Registration is not required. All are welcome to attend these ACS-approved events! Please join us!

Dig Deeper
To learn more about the practice and benefits of mindfulness meditation, we invite you to read some of the following e-books which are part of Falvey Library’s collection:

• Mindfulness for Students: Embracing Now, Looking to the Future
• Mindfulness and Meditation: Handling Life with a Calm and Focused Mind
• Psychology of Mindfulness
• Mindfulness at Work: The Practice and Science of Mindfulness for Leaders, Coaches and Facilitators
• Mindfulness Made Simple: An Introduction to Finding Calm Through Mindfulness and Meditation
• Mindfulness for Every Day
• The Mindfulness Solution
• Mindfulness Made Easy: Teach Yourself

These e-books are available to any student, faculty, or staff with a valid Villanova email address.

Please also check out these helpful resources being offered by Campus Ministry:

• Campus Resources for Spirituality
• VU Campus Ministry on Facebook and Instagram
• Campus Ministry Staff Contact Information

For FREE guided meditations, please see UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center website.

Regina Duffy is a Communication and Marketing Program Manager at Falvey Memorial Library.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

In Verse 64 of Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu said, “A journey of  a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Welcome and welcome back, Wildcats! A new year at Villanova brings new beginnings, whether it’s your first year or your last. As you embark on your 2022-2023 journey, remember that all of your fellow Wildcats are taking the step with you. Happy fall semester!

THIS WEEK AT FALVEY

Monday, August 29

Mindfulness Mondays | 1-1:30 p.m. | Virtual | Free & Open to all Villanova Students, Faculty, and Staff

Check back next week for more awesome Falvey Library events and exhibits!

HOLIDAYS THIS WEEK

Celebrate We Love Memoirs Day on Wednesday, August 31, by reading or listening to one of your favorite memoirs. If you need a bit of humor in your day, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel provides some genuine laughs and things to reflect on (and, bonus, as a graphic novel, it’s a pretty quick read).

September 2 is College Colors Day. So, if you’re stuck picking out an outfit for Friday, throw on some blue and white to show your ‘Nova pride.

Annie Stockmal is a graduate student in the Communication Department and graduate assistant in Falvey Library.

Happy National Dog Day! If you are an incoming student, perhaps you haven’t experienced our pet therapy sessions, courtesy of Pals for Life, which happen each semester in the Library.

You don’t need a scientific study to tell you that petting dogs lower stress and blood pressure. Well, if you do, here’s that. And we just think having a day to boop a dog’s nose, rub a puppy’s belly, or just spend some time with an amazing canine, is the perfect thing to get you mentally prepared for a test or finals. Look for news of upcoming events like this on the Library home page or right here on the blog!

If you can’t wait for canine cuddles, the Office of Health Promotion offers “Where is the Love” pet therapy most Wednesdays during the semester, too!

By Jenna Renaud

Word of the Week: Nudiustertian  

(adj) of or relating to the day before yesterday 

Maybe you’re thinking to yourself “Why wouldn’t I just say the day before yesterday or the name of the day?” And that’s a valid point. But if you want to impress your friends and family with your extensive vocabulary, throw nudiustertian into conversation.  

For example, “I really should have done more studying nudiustertian morning for my upcoming finals.”  

This Week at Falvey  

NOW–Wednesday, June 15 

“That Fairyland of Ice”: Polar Exploration in Mind and Memory Exhibit | Falvey First Floor & Virtual | Free & Open to the Public 

Monday, April 25 

Russia’s War on Ukraine: Historical Turning Points | 6–7 p.m. | Virtual | Register Here 

Wednesday, April 27   

2022 Falvey Forum Workshop Series: Bringing Historical Maps into GIS | 12–1 p.m. | Virtual | Register Here 

Thursday, April 28

Alfred F. Mannella and Rose T. Lauria-Mannella Endowed Distinguished Speak Series Lecture Featuring Poet Maria Famà | 2:30–3:45 p.m. | Register Here 

Friday, April 29

Falvey Library’s Semi-Annual Stress Busting Open House: Make Finals a Grand Slam | 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | Free & Open to all Villanova Students 

This Week in History 

April 29th, 2004– World War II monument opens in Washington D.C. 

18 years ago today the World War II monument opened in Washington D.C. providing recognition of the 16 million U.S. men and women who served in the war.  

The monument was formally dedicated by US President George W. Bush, although the memorial was inspired decades earlier by veteran Roger Durbin. Durbin served under Gen. George S. Patton and in February 1987 he asked US Rep Marcy Kaptur why there was no memorial on the National Mall to honor World War II veterans. Kaptur then introduced legislation to build one, initiating the 17-year journey until it opened.  

The World War II monument is my favorite memorial in Washington D.C. In high school, I spent part of one summer exploring Washington D.C. and taking a writing seminar. As part of the seminar, we had to choose a monument to visit, reflect on, and then write about. I have always taken an interest in World War II, in part due to my Jewish heritage and the atrocities my Great Aunt lived through as a young girl in Romania during the Holocaust. When it came time to choose a monument, I was immediately drawn to the World War II monument.  

What has always struck me about the World War II monument is all the symbolism and how each detail and piece represented something about the war and the many lives lost. From representing the war in Europe to the war in the Pacific to the hundreds of thousands of American lives lost, the monument produces a sobering effect. Read this article from the National Park Service talking about the various aspects of the monument to learn more. 

Read more about the monument’s opening from History.com. 

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

By Jenna Renaud

Word of the Week: Type II Fun 

Maybe you’re thinking, “I know what fun is,” but did you know that there are different types of fun?  

Type II fun usually feels terrible while you’re doing it, like climbing up a mountain in the freezing cold, running an ultra-marathon, or standing in line at Disney World in the blazing sun, but when it’s over, your memory erases the miserable parts, and you would do it again for fun.  

This is all based on the “fun scale,” typically used by outdoor enthusiasts. You can read more about it in this article from REI. But in summary the other types of fun are: 

Type I Fun – Enjoyable when it’s happening. Simply fun. Eating good food with good friends. Celebrating birthdays or holidays with family. Movie nights.  

Type III Fun – Not actually fun at all. While you’re doing it or in retrospect. Maybe you’re waiting for the Type II fun effect to hit, but it never does. 

For many people, Type II fun is the sweet spot. It’s challenging but isn’t actually putting your life at risk. With finals right around the corner, consider planning some Type II adventures for this summer. 

This Week at Falvey  

NOW–Wednesday, Jun. 15th  

“That Fairyland of Ice”: Polar Exploration in Mind and Memory Exhibit | Falvey First Floor & Virtual | Free & Open to the Public 

Tuesday, April 19th  

Polar Voyaging and the Humanities | 4–5 p.m. | Virtual | https://villanova.zoom.us/j/98337578849 

Wednesday, April 20th   

2022 Falvey Forum Workshop Series: Capturing the Web – Introduction to Web Archiving | 12–1 p.m. | Virtual | Register Here 

“The Politics of the Irish Harp Symbol from Henry VIII to Brexit” Lecture & Harp Performance with Mary Louise O’Donnell | 4 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Learn More Here 

Thursday, April 21st 

2022 Literary Festival: Tiphanie Yanique | 7–8:30 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Public | Find more info here 

Friday, April 22nd  

Villanova Gaming Society Meeting | 2:30–4:30 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Public 

2022 Falvey Scholars Virtual Research Presentation and Awards Ceremony | 10 a.m. | Virtual | Register Here 

2022 Concept Virtual Recognition Ceremony | 1–2 p.m. | Virtual | Register Here 

This Week in History 

April 22nd, 1970 – First Earth Day was celebrated 

Earth Day is an annual event used to demonstrate support for environmental protection and bring awareness to a wide range of environmental issues. 2022 marks the 52nd celebration of the holiday.  

Earth Day was started by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, an environmentalist who wanted to increase awareness and provide unity to the environmental movement. “The objective was to get a nationwide demonstration of concern for the environment so large that it would shake the political establishment out of its lethargy,” Senator Nelson said, “and, finally, force this issue permanently onto the national political agenda.” 

Earth Day has contributed to the passage of the Clean Water and Endangered Species Act. Each year the holiday is recognized by 192 different countries. 

Read more from History.com. 

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

Happy April, Wildcats! The end of the semester is quickly approaching. Be sure to check out one (or a few) of the remaining events at Falvey Memorial Library. All events are ACS-approved and open to the Villanova University community. The lineup of events are listed below.

2022 Villanova University Literary Festival: Tiphanie Yanique

• Thursday, April 21, at 7 p.m. in Falvey Library’s Speakers’ Corner.
• Livestream link.
• Tiphanie Yanique is a novelist, poet, essayist, and short story writer. She is the author of the poetry collection, Wife, which won the 2016 Bocas Prize in Caribbean poetry and the United Kingdom’s 2016 Forward/Felix Dennis Prize for a First Collection. Tiphanie is also the author of the novel, Land of Love and Drowning, which won the 2014   Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Award from the Center for Fiction, the Phillis Wheatley Award for Pan-African Literature, and the American Academy of Arts   and Letters Rosenthal Family Foundation Award, and was listed by NPR as one of the Best Books of 2014. Land of Love and Drowning was also a finalist for the Orion Award in Environmental Literature and the Hurston-Wright Legacy Award. She is a tenured associate professor at Emory University.
• For more information on Yanique, please visit her website.
• This event is co-sponsored by the English Department, the Creative Writing Program, Global Interdisciplinary Studies, Gender and Women’s Studies, the Center for Irish Studies, and Falvey Library.

Polar Voyaging and the Humanities

• Tuesday, April 19, at 4 p.m.
• Virtual lecture on Zoom. Register here.
• Lecture by Hester Blum, PhD, Professor of English at Penn State.
• In the summer of 2019 Blum was the lone humanities scholar on a scientific expedition tracking climate change in the Northwest Passage. Drawn from her experience on the Arctic icebreaker (and on an Antarctic expedition), as well as her research on nineteenth-century polar expeditions, Blum’s talk offers a meditation on ice as a measure for visualizing, writing about, mourning, and mediating the state of the climate in an age of ecological and institutional crisis.
• This event is offered in support of Falvey Memorial Library’s current exhibit “That Fairyland of Ice”: Polar Exploration in Mind and Memoryand is included alongside Earth Week events.
• This event is co-sponsored by Falvey Memorial Library, the Office of Sustainability, the Department of Geography and the Environment, the Albert Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest, and the Department of English.

Russia’s War on Ukraine: Historical Turning Points

• Monday, April 25, from 6-7 p.m.
• Virtual lecture on Zoom. Register here.
• A conversation about the ongoing war in Ukraine.
• Dr. Adele Lindenmeyr, Historian of Russia and the USSR, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Villanova University, and Dr. Mike Westrate, Historian of Ukraine and the USSR, Assistant Vice Provost, Graduate Education and Research, Villanova University, will discuss the turning points that led to Russia’s invasion.
• What were the historical turning points that led to Russia’s current war on Ukraine and its people? Join us for a discussion of the Ukrainian-Russian relationship, including: the Holodomor, WWII and its aftermath, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Budapest Memorandum, the Russian war on Georgia, and the illegal annexation of Crimea.
• This event is co-sponsored by Falvey Library and the Albert Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest.

Falvey Library’s Semi-Annual Stress Busting Open House: Make Finals a Grand Slam

• Friday, April 29 (Reading Day) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or until supplies last on the Old Falvey patio.
• Stop by for some major (league) fun and treats to make these finals a grand slam!
• Pals for Life therapy animals will be there to help you during the 7th inning stretch of the semester.
• This event is co-sponsored by Falvey Library, the Office of Health Promotion, and POWER.

CONCEPT Virtual Recognition Ceremony

• Friday, April 22, at 1 p.m.
• Virtual lecture on Zoom. Register here.
• Join us as we celebrate the official launch of the 2022 issue of CONCEPT, the interdisciplinary journal of graduate students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
• The ceremony will recognize this year’s Graduate Research Prize for top paper, along with all of the student authors and editors, faculty editors, and peer reviewers.
• CONCEPT accepts submissions from Villanova graduate students in all fields of the arts and sciences and is an opportunity for them to share their scholarship and research.
• This event is co-sponsored by Falvey Library and the Office of Graduate Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
• Visit the CONCEPT website to learn more about the journal and to browse past volumes.

Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Memorial Library.

Word of the Week: Vernal Equinox (also known as: Spring Equinox, March Equinox) 

Yesterday marked the official first day of Spring! Each year spring is marked by the vernal equinox, which falls around March 20 or 21 and is when the Sun crosses the celestial equator going north. 

Equinoxes occur when the axis of rotation of the earth is exactly parallel to the direction of motion of the earth around the sun. Day and night are about the same length on this day, hence the name “equinox.” The name is derived from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night). 

Now that we’ve passed the vernal equinox, be prepared for earlier sunrises, later sunsets, softer winds, and sprouting plants—all signs that Spring is here.  

This Week at Falvey  

NOW–Wednesday, June 15

“That Fairyland of Ice”: Polar Exploration in Mind and Memory Exhibit | Falvey First Floor & Virtual | Free & Open to the Public 

Monday, March 21 

Mindfulness Mondays | 1–1:30 p.m. | Virtual | https://villanova.zoom.us/j/98337578849 

Monday, March 21 

The Interfaith Human Library: Where Books Talk and We All Learn About Life in a Multi-Faith World | 4:30–6 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Register Here 

Tuesday, March 22 

Scholarship@Villanova–Billie Murray, PhD, on Combating Hate: A Framework for Direct Action | 4–5:15 p.m. | Room 205 | Find more info here 

Wednesday, March 23

2022 Falvey Forum Workshop Series: Introduction to Digital Archives and Research | 12–1 p.m. | Virtual | Register Here 

Thursday, March 24  

Spring 2022 Digital Seeds Lecture: Matthew Bui, PhD, on “Toward Urban Data Justice: Auditing the Racial Politics of Data” | 4 p.m. | Virtual | Register Here 

Friday, March 25

Villanova Gaming Society Meeting | 2:30–4:30 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Public 

This Week in History 

March 23, 1839 – “OK” enters national vernacular  

On March 23, 1839, the initials “O.K.” are first published in The Boston Morning Post, partially as a joke. It was meant as an abbreviation for “oll korrect,” a popular slang misspelling of “all correct.” However, “OK” then steadily made its way into the everyday speech of Americans. 

In the late 1830s, many younger people would misspell words intentionally, then abbreviate them and use them as slang. Some examples include “KY” for “no use” (“know yuse”) and “OW” for all right (“oll wright”).  

OK rose above the rest and made its way into common vernacular even to this day in part thanks to the Boston Morning Post. From there, its popularity continued when it was picked up by politicians at the time. 

Read more from History.com. 

Jenna Renaud is a Graduate Assistant in Falvey Memorial Library and a Graduate Student in the Communication Department.

By Jenna Renaud

Word of the Week: March Madness 

This week instead of strictly defining a word, we’re talking about the origin of the phrase March Madness in honor of the tournament kicking off!  

March Madness originated from the phrase “mad as March here”; however, it did not come from the NCAA tournament, but rather Henry Porter, an Illinois high school athletics administrator in 1939. In the 1940s, March Madness was used for Illinois state basketball tournaments, before spreading elsewhere in the Midwest region. 

40 years later in the 1980s, March Madness came to be associated with the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, an association many credit to commentator Brent Musburger. 

This Week at Falvey  

NOW–Wednesday, Jun. 15th  

“That Fairyland of Ice”: Polar Exploration in Mind and Memory Exhibit | Falvey First Floor & Virtual | Free & Open to the Public 

Monday, March 14th 

Mindfulness Mondays | 1–1:30 p.m. | Virtual | https://villanova.zoom.us/j/98337578849 

Wednesday, March 16th 

2022 Falvey Forum Workshop Series: Mastering the Labyrinth: Newspaper–Magazine Archives | 12–1 p.m. | Virtual | https://villanova.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMsfuqsrTsvG9BvwhHkwcD9LIxFsFF0yACe  

Friday, March 18th  

Villanova Gaming Society Meeting | 2:30–4:30 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Public 

This Week in History 

February 15th, 44 B.C. – Assassination of Julius Caesar  

“Beware of the ides of March” 

2,066 years ago on March 15th, Julius Caesar, dictator of Rome, is stabbed to death in the Roman Senate house by 60 conspirators led by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus. This day then infamously came to be known as the “Ides of March.”  

Despite now being associated with a more ominous connotation, the ides of March has a tamer origin. Ides simply referred to the first new moon of a given month, with each month having its own ides, typically falling between the 13th and the 15th. The ides of March was the 74th day in the Roman calendar and traditionally associated with religious celebrations and at one point, the new year. 

Jenna Renaud is a Graduate Assistant in Falvey Memorial Library and a Graduate Student in the Communication Department.

By Jenna Renaud

Word of the Week: Wordle 

(n) a name for an electronic image that shows words used in a particular piece of electronic text or series of texts. The words are different sizes according to how often they are used in the text. 

Before Wordle was the game that causes us to forget the English language every morning, it was the name for the word clouds that you’ve probably made at some point in your life. In addition, a wide variety of games with the same moniker have been released over the years although the trademark situation is a bit up in the air at the moment.  

Below is a wordle of the words in a blog post Ethan did about the game Wordle! Wordle-ception!  

This Week at Falvey  

NOW–Wednesday, Jun. 15th  

“That Fairyland of Ice”: Polar Exploration in Mind and Memory Exhibit / Falvey First Floor & Online / Free & Open to the Public 

Monday, Feb. 14th  

Mindfulness Mondays | 1–1:30 p.m. | Virtual | https://villanova.zoom.us/j/98337578849  

Tuesday, Feb. 15th  

The Bible in Black, Part 2 on the New Testament | 12–1 p.m. | Room 205 | More info here 

Tuesday, Feb. 15th  

Robbie Richardson, PhD, on “Death, Bones, and the Rise of the Museum in the Eighteenth Century” | 5:30 p.m. | Room 205 or Virtual| More info here 

Friday, Feb. 18th  

Villanova Gaming Society Meeting | 2:30–4:30 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Public  

This Week in History 

February 14th, 270 A.D. – St. Valentine beheaded 

At the time, Rome was under the rule of Claudius II, also known as Claudius the Cruel, and was involved in many bloody campaigns. Because of the many campaigns, it was imperative that the emperor maintained a strong army; however, he struggled to recruit men. He attributed this difficulty to marriage and the strong attachment men had to their wives and families. In response to this, Claudius banned all marriages in Rome. 

Valentine, a holy priest, saw this decree as unjust and continued to perform marriages in secret. When he was found out, he was put in prison until his execution on February 14. Legend has it that right before his beheading, he wrote a letter to the jailor’s daughter signing it “Love your Valentine.” Following his death, he was made a saint. 

This is just one of the stories that potentially account for the life of St. Valentine and the origins of the holiday. To read more about the theories surrounding Valentine’s Day and St. Valentine, visit History.com.  

Jenna Renaud is a Graduate Assistant in Falvey Memorial Library and a Graduate Student in the Communication Department.