Photo courtesy of the Falvey collection.
The crisp is in the air and the crunch(!) is on the football field, which can only mean one thing: it’s Family Weekend! To get you in the Villanova spirit, we “Fotofriday” flashback to 1978 when Parents’ Weekend (as it was known then) caught this clash of gridders. Welcome to all of our Wildcat families! And go, Cats!
In Infinite Jest, David Foster Wallace said, “You will become way less concerned with what other people think of you when you realize how seldom they do.”
We, as social creatures, have a tendency to worry about what other people think of us, whether you want to be perceived as nice, cool, funny, or smart. When we do something that doesn’t meet our own standards, whatever they may be, we can worry what people are thinking of us.
But the overthinking isn’t worth it. The embarrassing moments that you replay in your mind at night barely cross other people’s minds, and, if for some reason they do, I promise you they are judging you far kinder than your own internal monologue. Caring about others is a good trait to have but learning to place less emphasis on what others think of you is a great lesson.
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 Learners’ Studio/Center for Speaking and Presentation | 4-9 p.m. | Room 301 | Free
The Learners’ Studio/Center for Speaking and Presentation | 4-9 p.m. | Room 301 | Free
The Learners’ Studio/Center for Speaking and Presentation | 4-9 p.m. | Room 301 | Free
Villanova Gaming Society Meeting | 2:30-4:30 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Public
The Learners’ Studio/Center for Speaking and Presentation | 3-9 p.m. | Room 301 | Free
Be sure to check out the awesome events happening on campus this week for Black History Month, and stay tuned for more information on Falvey’s postponed Black History Month event, “The End of White Christian America: Faith Apart from Anti-Blackness.”
Today, Feb. 6, is National Frozen Yogurt Day. If you don’t feel like letting the cold weather hold you back, celebrate with some fro-yo. Although I may be a bit biased, as my best friend worked there for a while, Kiwi Yogurt is a great place to try. Their Funfetti Cupcake flavor (with some chocolate syrup and Oreo pieces) is amazing.
Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash
For anyone in the mood for a nice warm drink to stave off the cold (or fans of caffeine in any form), National Latte Day is this Saturday, Feb. 11. Whether your favorite latte is an (iced or hot) chai, matcha, pumpkin spice, or vanilla, grab yourself a latte to celebrate. And, as always, if you’re in Falvey, swing by Holy Grounds for a convenient option.
This Saturday is also Global Movie Day. You can celebrate this holiday by watching a movie, any movie. As someone perhaps a little too obsessed with movies, this holiday is just another perfect excuse to go to the movie theater. In lieu of seeing Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which doesn’t hit theaters until Feb. 17, I might go to see Knock at the Cabin or (if my aforementioned best friend chooses) BTS: Yet to Come in Cinemas.
As I’m sure many of you know, this Sunday, Feb. 12, is Super Bowl Sunday, and this year, Philly will compete against the Kansas City Chiefs. (Go, Birds!) Need the perfect game day snack? Sunday is also Super Chicken Wing Day. So, pick up your go-to wings and enjoy the game (or the commercials).
Annie Stockmal is a graduate student in the Communication Department and graduate assistant in Falvey Library.
By Anna Jankowski
This spread from the 1953 edition of the Belle Air yearbook shows students walking outside of the Jake Nevin Fieldhouse. Even though this image was taken nearly 70 years ago, not much has changed.
Crowds of students, family, alumni, and local fans will still gather to watch Lacrosse games at the Villanova Stadium this season and then disperse in a similar fashion to cross Lancaster Avenue. Next Friday, April 29, is the final home game for the Villanova Men’s Lacrosse Team. Head over to the stadium at 7 p.m. to see the Wildcats play Georgetown before the Big East Tournament!
Anna Jankowski ’23 CLAS is a Junior Communication Major from just outside Baltimore who works as a Communication & Marketing Assistant in Falvey.
Happy Friday, Wildcats! After a year off, Falvey Memorial Library is bringing back Weekend Recs, a blog dedicated to filling you in on what to read, listen to, and watch over the weekend. Jenna, a graduate assistant from the Communication department, scours the internet, peruses the news, and digs through book stacks to find new, relevant, and thought-provoking content that will challenge you and prepare you for the upcoming week.
With the Tennessee Titan’s defeat of the Buffalo Bills Monday night, a third of the NFL season has officially passed. And with that, there have been many exciting developments from a team ending their 20-game losing streak to the Eagles trading away a long-time player. Whether school has cut into your football watching time or you want to try to understand why people are fascinated by the sport, check out the recs below.
If you have 3 minutes… read about how the Jacksonville Jaguars ended their 20-game losing streak while playing in London.
If you have 17 minutes… watch former Philadelphia Eagle Tight End Zach Ertz’s emotional goodbye to Philly fans as he gets traded to the Arizona Cardinals.
If you have 51 minutes… and play Fantasy Football (or want to learn more about it), listen to the NFL’s NFL Fantasy Podcast where they combine in-depth stats and film study to help you win your league.
If you 1 hour and 31 minutes… listen to the NFL’s (other) podcast Around the NFL where they recap the biggest games and defeats of Week 6.
If you have about 8 hours… read NFL Football: A History of America’s New National Pastime by Richard C. Crepeau and available online in Falvey’s collection.
If you have all day Sunday… grab a seat on your couch, order wings and pizza, and watch a day of football. You can find the full Sunday schedule and where to stream the games here.
Jenna Renaud is a graduate student in the Communication Department and graduate assistant in Falvey Memorial Library.
For our Throwback Thursday, we honor Brian Westbrook ’02. It has been 20 years since Villanova played the above nailbiter against James Madison University, and has also been almost two decades since Villanova legend Brian Westbrook suited up for the Wildcats. Westbrook is arguably one of the most successful players in Villanova history running and catching 9,512 all-purpose yards, an NCAA record.
As a professional, he enjoyed a seven-year stint with the Eagles earning him a spot in the team’s hall of fame.
Elijah McDow is a College of Liberal Arts and Sciences undergraduate student.
Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Library.
In 1984, Villanova Football made its triumphant return to campus.
A constant at the University since 1894, football was not played at Villanova for three seasons, until alumni and students rallied to revive the Wildcat gridders. The effort even included a benefit at the Philadelphia Academy of Music with legendary comedian Bob Hope!
During this first season, football cheerleaders tossed this palm-size football (now in the University Archives) to the home crowd. The team played at the Division III level and featured a shortened five-game schedule, going undefeated. New Head Coach Andy Talley would helm the team for 230 wins over 37 seasons and send many players to the NFL, including Philadelphia Eagles great Brian Westbrook.
Shawn Proctor, MFA, Communications and Marketing Program Manager at Falvey Memorial Library, says his favorite Villanova football player is Matt Szczur (pronounced “Caesar”) who led the team to a national championship in 2009.
