QUOTE OF THE WEEK

In The Lorax, Dr. Seuss wrote, “Unless someone like you cares an awful lot, things aren’t going to get better. They’re not.”

Happy Monday, Wildcats! With Earth Day approaching this week, I want to leave you with some words of wisdom. Although it may seem futile, as climate change unarguably is too big for one person to combat, your actions matter, and your actions can make a difference. Don’t let the futility stop you from caring.

This goes beyond climate change and environmental justice. If you care about something, if you want to see a change in the word, keep caring and let that caring shine through your actions.

THIS WEEK AT FALVEY

Monday, April 17

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

The Senghor-Damas-Césaire Lecture for Africana Studies featuring Kris Manjapra, PhD | 5-6 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Public

Tuesday, April 18

Publish Your Research in Veritas, Villanova’s First Peer-Reviewed Undergraduate Journal | 4-5 p.m. | The Center for Research and Fellowships, Garey Hall (Top Floor) | Open to Villanova Students |

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

2023 Literary Festival Event: Steph Cha | 7 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Livestream Available Here | Free & Open to the Public

Wednesday, April 19

Bridging Cultures: A Celebration of Arab and Palestinian Music | 4 p.m. | Connelly Center Cinema | Free & Open to the Public

Writers and Editors, Ethics, and Craft: A Conversation with the 2023 Irish Studies Heimbold Chair Mary O’Donoghue and Irish writer Lisa McInerney | 4 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Villanova Community | Light Refreshments Served

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

Alfred F. Mannella and Rose T. Lauria-Mannella Endowed Distinguished Speaker Series Lecture featuring Peter Spina on “The Italian Heritage of American Popular Music” | 7 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Public

Thursday, April 20

Poetic License Exhibit Launch and Open Mic Celebration | 4 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Public | Light Refreshments Served

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

Friday, April 21

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

Sunday, April 23

The Learners’ Studio/Center for Speaking and Presentation | 3-9 p.m. | Room 301 | Free

HOLIDAYS THIS WEEK

Photo by Margot RICHARD on Unsplash

In celebration of National Poetry Month, today, Apr. 17, is International Haiku Poetry Day. A Japanese form of poetry, Haiku poems are 3 lines with a 5-7-5 syllable pattern. If you’re feeling creative, try out some haiku poetry yourself. For some inspiration, check out Falvey’s haiku resources here.

As some of you may already know, tomorrow, Apr. 18, is Tax Day, but did you know that it is also National Exercise Day? So, to work off some of the stress of doing your taxes with some healthy movement (and bonus points if you take your workout outside).

Saturday, Apr. 22, is Earth Day, a day for celebrating our planet and helping to protect it. So, today, whether you sign some petitions, call your representatives, plant a tree, or pick up litter, try to do something for the environment.

Want to get outside and enjoy the weather this weekend? Sunday, Apr. 23, is National Picnic Day. Whether your perfect picnic is accompanied by a group of friends, your family, or a good book, today is the perfect excuse to get outside and soak up some vitamin D (with sunscreen, of course).

If you’re more of an indoor, air conditioning person, Sunday is also Movie Theater Day. If you’re feeling cinematic, swing by your local movie theater and relax with a movie.

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

By Ethan Shea

Running is a hobby I’ve had for a while now, but during the past couple years, I’ve become very passionate about the sport. Aside from the obvious physical benefits of exercise, running has been essential to maintaining my mental health. There’s truly no better feeling than finishing a long run on a crisp October morning.

The most difficult part of being a runner, at least for me, is motivation and consistency. Its easy to fall into a rut where you begin running less frequently, and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing lately. New trails, schedules, and opportunities have made the last month exciting, but coping with the loss of my treasured running routes back home hasn’t been easy.

Here at Falvey, we know the best motivation is found in a good book, so I recently ran to the library for help with getting my running back on track. If any one else is planning to hit the track or trails, here are a few books I’d recommend.

Once a Runner by John L. Parker Jr.

Once a Runner by John L. Parker Jr.

This is one of those classic running books your dad would probably recommend to you. Published in 1978, this novel thrived off the energy of the first running boom in the 1970s. It channels the gritty mindset of a runner who wants to be the best and is willing to do anything, even 60 consecutive quarter mile repeats, to achieve his goal.

The athlete in question is a fictional collegiate runner named Quenton Cassidy. Cassidy is a top-of-the-line athlete and four-minute miler, but he has lots of work to do before competing against John Walton, who holds the world record in the mile with a blazing time of three minutes and 50 seconds.

Admittedly, Once a Runner isn’t the most eloquent book I’ve ever read, and it will probably be most appealing to those who are already into running, but that’s what makes so called “cult classics” special. There’s just something about this story that stuck with generations of runners. The copy of this text I own was actually gifted to me by a former semi-pro runner I used to work at a running store with, so maybe I’ll continue the tradition and hand it off to another eager runner a couple decades from now.

Advanced Marathoning by Pete Pfitzinger

Advanced Marathoning by Pete Pfitzinger

Pete Pfitzinger is a former Olympic marathoner with a personal best time of 2:11:43 over the 26.2 mile distance (that’s about five minutes and two seconds per mile). Needless to say, Pete is fast, and that’s why I trust his training advice in Advanced Marathoning.

This book isn’t the most exciting read if you’re not a running geek, but it provides a lot of valuable information that any runner can benefit from. It really digs into the science of marathoning and the physiological changes that your body undergoes during training. The training plans provided are fairly advanced, but that doesn’t mean everyone can’t apply their principles to their own routines.

If the marathon isn’t your favorite event, Pfitzinger also has a book titled Faster Road Racing that provides similar sorts of information as Advanced Marathoning but focuses on distances from 5k to the half marathon. I’d say if you want to nerd out over some running science, Pfitzinger’s books were written for you.

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

This is without a doubt one of the most influential books about running out there. The true story follows members of the Tarahumara Native Mexican tribe as McDougall himself learns how the community is able to run distances of over 100 miles without injuring themselves.

One of the more controversial takes found in this book is McDougall’s belief that modern cushioned running shoes cause injuries. He points to the minimalist shoes worn by Tarahumara runners as evidence of the inferiority of traditional running shoes. The popularity of this book even led to a minimalist running craze. You may remember those Vibram foot-shaped shoes that people were running with a few years ago. Those are (unfortunately) an indirect result of Born to Run. Interestingly enough, minimalist running is not the main focus of this book. The text only spends a couple chapters talking about the benefits of minimalism, and the rest explores other aspects of training with the Tarahumarans.

I could go on about why I passionately disagree with McDougall’s opinions on running shoes, but I’ll let you read and make a decision on your own. Shoes aside, this story captivated millions, and it’s certainly worth reading if you’d like to dive into the running shoe debate for yourself.

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