By Ethan Shea

Massive Lego bricks in Enfield, CT

In last week’s “Peek at the Week” blog, Annie pointed out that Saturday, Jan. 28, was National LEGO Day. To prolong celebration of the holiday a bit longer, this installment of “Cat in the Stax” will explore the history of this world-renowned toy.

I was quite literally raised in the shadow of LEGO, as the company’s North American branch is headquartered in Enfield, Connecticut, the town I grew up in. The soccer field I played at was called LEGO Field, and I would routinely drive by the three massive LEGO bricks shown above.

The Cult of Lego by John Baichtal

However, LEGO recently announced that they will be moving their HQ from Enfield to Boston. This move will not be complete until 2026, but as a former resident of Enfield, it stings a little.

How did LEGO end up in a run-of-the-mill town like Enfield anyways? Don’t get me wrong, I love my hometown. But I have always wondered why a massive company like LEGO would choose Enfield over a city like New York or Boston. I guess LEGO was thinking the same thing…

Anyways, after a bit of research, I learned why LEGO has been in Connecticut for so long.

In 1961, the Shwayder family, known for luggage manufacturing, was authorized to produce and sell LEGO in the United States. At the time, they were based in Brookfield, Connecticut.

Since the Shwayder family was mostly familiar with the luggage business, LEGO sales began to fall. To remedy the situation, they brought in a man named Jack Sullivan. They collectively decided headquartering in Brookfield was part of the problem and eventually chose Enfield to be the new home of LEGO simply because it is located near the midpoint between New York and Boston. Sullivan also lived in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, just a hop, skip and jump away from Enfield.

If you would like to learn less hyper-localized facts about LEGO, there are plenty of resources available through Falvey. Here are a few I recommend checking out:

• The Cult of LEGO – John Baichtal
• LEGO Manufacturers: The Kristiansen Family – Lee Slater
• Brick by Brick: How LEGO Rewrote the Rules of Innovation and Conquered the Global Toy Industry – David Robertson

Lastly, I hope you enjoy this photo of the LEGO creations my roommate and I recently put together. We have grown to love the Botanical Collection, so our plastic garden is blooming!

A growing LEGO garden

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

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Ron Weasley, speculating what Hermione Granger would do, said, “When in doubt, go to the library.”

Happy Monday, Wildcats! The beginning of the semester is typically one of the lightest and least stressful times in the lives of college students, aside from, of course, the breaks. This low-stress point is the perfect opportunity to develop some helpful habits, whether it be for self-care, studying, social interaction, or anything else that helps you thrive.

We, at Falvey, would like to throw our hat in the ring. Not sure how the library can help you? Check out this guide to our services and resources. Whether you need help finding sources for or fleshing out a paper (reach out to one of our amazing subject librarians), getting materials you need for class (check out this Affordable Materials Project guide to saving money), or even just a good place to study, getting in the habit of using Falvey’s resources is a habit that will help you thrive. So, this semester, when you’re in doubt, come to the library. It might just save you a whole lot of time and stress.

THIS WEEK AT FALVEY

Monday, January 23

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

Tuesday, January 24

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

Wednesday, January 25

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

Thursday, January 26

“From Having a Dream to Becoming a NASA Leader” | 4-6 p.m. | Connelly Center Cinema | Free & Open to Villanova Community

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

Friday, January 27

De-carbonizing Villanova: A Townhall on Fossil Fuel Divestment | 1-2:30 p.m. | Connelly Center Cinema | Zoom Option Available | Free & Open to Villanova Students, Faculty, and Staff

Sunday, January 29

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

HOLIDAYS THIS WEEK

Tomorrow, Jan. 24, is Belly Laugh Day. Whether its prompted by a funny TikTok, a friend, or even yourself, bring some laughter into your day. After all, laughter is the best medicine.

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

National Compliment Day is also tomorrow. If you’re feeling up to it, spread some positivity and compliment some of the people in your life. It could be a heartfelt compliment to someone you love or simply telling a stranger you think their shoes are cool. You never know what the simplest things could mean to someone.

Saturday, Jan. 28, is National Lego Day. If you’re feeling creative and need a hands-on activity to do, even while binge-watching a show or listening to a podcast, find yourself a fun Lego set to build. Don’t have any Lego? You can still celebrate this (admittedly consumerist) holiday by watching a film in the Lego Cinematic Universe. (The Lego Batman Movie is always a great choice).

This Sunday, Jan. 29 is National Puzzle Day. Give your brain a fun challenge and solve a puzzle, whether it’s an actual puzzle, a Rubik’s Cube, or even a game of Sudoku. As a novice puzzle enjoyer myself, I will be breaking out one of the puzzles I got for Christmas and, as always, playing Killer Sudoku on my phone.

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