By Olivia Dunn & Ethan Shea

Happy Thursday, Wildcats! Thanksgiving break is fast-approaching, and you knows what that means … delicious Thanksgiving meals! Ranking the quality of holiday dishes can be a controversial topic, but nevertheless, this week’s installment of the Curious Cat takes on the age-old debate over Thanksgiving foods.

Which dish is best? Have you spent the last year pining for green bean casserole, or are you a glutton for mashed potatoes? Regardless of how you fill your plate, this blog is for you! Read on to find out how a few Falvey patrons responded to this provocative prompt.

“Clementines with my turkey.”

— Meagan Tolgyesi ’23

“Sweet potato casserole without marshmallows and with nuts.”

— Katherine Polatchek ’23

“Mashed potatoes.”

— Christina Ochs ’23

“Mashed potatoes.”

— Emma Thompson ’23

Olivia Dunn is a senior at Villanova University. She works in Falvey Library as a Communications and Marketing Assistant and majors in Communication with specializations in both Journalism and Public Relations.

Ethan Shea is a graduate student in the English Department at Villanova University and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.

By Ethan Shea

A year ago, in spite of the chaos of November 2020, Jenna, last year’s “Cat in the Stax,” wrote about what she’s thankful for in this Thanksgiving blog. To continue this tradition of revisiting reasons to be thankful annually, this holiday edition of “Cat in the Stax” describes a few of the many people, places, and things I’m grateful for.

In-Person Classes

Considering the entirety of my senior year as an undergraduate was online, I’m very thankful to be back on a college campus. Although my experience at Zoom University was as good as it could have been, I definitely connect more with the material and my classmates in a face-to-face setting. Campus life remains imperfect. Still, our ability to adapt to the tumultuous world and gather once again is something I will no longer take for granted.

Books

Any library’s blog about thankfulness would be incomplete without mentioning books! Thanks to Falvey’s vast selection of material, I’ve discovered a new passion for aimlessly wandering the fourth floor stacks until I find a book I can use for my research. Not only have the stacks been there to help me with academics, but, of course, I’m looking forward to indulging in some leisurely reading during the upcoming winter break, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to do so.

Family & Friends

It goes without saying that I would not be able to function without my support system. From friends who are willing to let me crash at their apartments on the weekends to family eager to drive four hours to visit me, I’m thankful for everyone in my life who keeps me in good spirits. The comfort of knowing I have people who will help me get back on my feet if I’m struggling is something I couldn’t live without, which is why I’m especially grateful for friends and family this year.

Professors

Before this semester began, I was apprehensive about conducting research at the graduate level, but, luckily, all my professors have made my first semester at Villanova a memorable one. By taking the time to discuss my ideas and giving guidance where it’s needed, my professors have made the collaborative process of work in the classroom enjoyable. I couldn’t have asked for better courses to kickstart my graduate career.

Wawa

As someone who has only lived in Pennsylvania since August, these past few months have been an eye-opening experience with regard to gas station cuisine. Back home in Connecticut, we swear by Dunkin’ Donuts, but I have to say, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by Wawa. I don’t have enough fingers to count the number of meals I’ve bought from Wawa this semester, but the breadth of options there really made me understand the hype. I guess this means I’m officially a Pennsylvanian now?

…maybe not, but regardless, I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving!

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

Happy Thanksgiving break, 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. 

We have officially made it to a much-needed Thanksgiving break. Take some time this long weekend to relax, enjoy time with family, and maybe catch up on a little bit of work so you can come back and crush the end of the semester. For your downtime, we’ve compiled a list of recommendations, from delicious recipes to train-ride books to TV recs. 

If you have 25 minutes… stream A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on Apple TV+ because no holiday’s complete without a Charlie Brown special! 

If you have 1 hour… start your virtual Christmas shopping in The Skimm’s virtual Holiday Village. It makes you feel like you’re going from store to store, but you can stay in your stretchy pants and comfy sweatshirts! 

If you have 47 minutes… watch the first episode of Marvel’s newest Disney+ show Hawkeye. Yes, so maybe this isn’t technically a Thanksgiving rec, but the series drops Nov. 24 and it’s going to be good! 

If you have 2 hours… sift through Taste of Home’s “30 Unbelievably Easy Thanksgiving Desserts” blog post and then put your baking skills to the test with one of the recipes. 

If you have 3 hours… Tune into the 95th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Watch the countdown and learn more about who’s in the parade this year on the official parade website. 

If you have 5 hours… read Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen by Laurie Colwin. Part cookbook, part biography, Colwin’s book is the perfect read to complement the smells of Thanksgiving dinner coming from the kitchen.  

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

By Jenna Renaud

Recipe of the Week: Thanksgiving Pumpkin Dump Cake 

In lieu of a word of the week, we’re sharing an easy Thanksgiving recipe that you can try out this holiday season! For students (and just busy people), it can be difficult to find time to contribute to Thanksgiving, but you also don’t want to show up empty-handed. This recipe from Cookies & Cups by Shelley Jaronsky offers an easy solution! 

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 45 minutes / Serves 12 

Ingredients: 

1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin 

1 (10 ounce) can evaporated milk 

1 cup light brown sugar 

3 eggs 

3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 

1 box yellow cake mix 

1 cup (2 sticks) butter melted 

1 cup coarsely crushed graham crackers or pecans 

1/2 cup toffee bits (optional) 

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside. 
2. In a large bowl combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine and pour into your prepared pan. 
3. Sprinkle the entire box of cake mix on top, followed by your nuts or graham crackers and toffee chips. 
4. Pour your melted butter evenly on top. 
5. Bake for 45-50 minutes until center is set and edges are lightly browned. 
6. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

 This Week at Falvey  

Monday, Nov. 22  

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

This Week in History 

Nov. 26, 1941–FDR establishes modern Thanksgiving holiday.

The following Thanksgiving information comes directly from History.com’s “This Week in History” post. 

“President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs a bill officially establishing the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day.  

The tradition of celebrating the holiday on Thursday dates back to the early history of the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colonies, when post-harvest holidays were celebrated on the weekday regularly set aside as “Lecture Day,” a midweek church meeting where topical sermons were presented. A famous Thanksgiving observance occurred in the autumn of 1621, when Plymouth governor William Bradford invited local members of the Wampanoag tribe to join the Pilgrims in a festival held in gratitude for the bounty of the season. 

Thanksgiving became an annual custom throughout New England in the 17th century, and in 1777 the Continental Congress declared the first national American Thanksgiving following the Patriot victory at Saratoga. In 1789, President George Washington became the first president to proclaim a Thanksgiving holiday, when, at the request of Congress, he proclaimed November 26, a Thursday, as a day of national thanksgiving for the U.S. Constitution. However, it was not until 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving to officially fall on the last Thursday of November, that the modern holiday was celebrated nationally.  

With a few deviations, Lincoln’s precedent was followed annually by every subsequent president—until 1939. In 1939, Franklin D. Roosevelt departed from tradition by declaring November 23, the next to last Thursday that year, as Thanksgiving Day. Considerable controversy surrounded this deviation, and some Americans refused to honor Roosevelt’s declaration. For the next two years, Roosevelt repeated the unpopular proclamation, but on November 26, 1941, he admitted his mistake and signed a bill into law officially making the fourth Thursday in November the national holiday of Thanksgiving Day.” 

A&E Television Networks. (2009, November 24). FDR proclaims Thanksgiving a national holiday. History.com. Retrieved November 18, 2021, from https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fdr-establishes-modern-thanksgiving-holiday. 

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

Leslie’s illustrated weekly newspaper, v. 127, no. 3298, November 23, 1918. Image courtesy of Villanova University Digital Library.

Falvey Memorial Library Service Desk Hours: Thanksgiving 2021

Monday, Nov. 22: 8 a.m.—12 a.m. (book stacks close at 11:30 p.m.)

Tuesday, Nov. 23: 8 a.m.—10 p.m. (book stacks close at 9:30 p.m.)

Wednesday, Nov. 24: Service desk and book stacks closed.

Thursday, Nov. 25: Service desk and book stacks closed.

Friday, Nov. 26: Service desk and book stacks closed.

Saturday, Nov. 27: 12 p.m.—5 p.m. (book stacks close at 4:30 p.m.)

Sunday, Nov. 28: 12 p.m.—12 a.m. (book stacks close at 11:30 p.m.)

Villanova students, faculty and staff may enter the Library building 24/7 with a valid Wildcard. Masks must be worn on all floors and spaces of the building, regardless of vaccination status. Library services are available to the University community during posted service hours. Electronic collections (articles, e-books and more!) are accessible through the Library’s website 24/7. For a full listing of service hours, visit our website.

Happy Thanksgiving, Wildcats!

Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Memorial Library. Her favorite Thanksgiving dish is green bean casserole. 

Graduate assistant, Jenna Newman, is pictured raiding the refrigerator at her parent’s in her Villanova mask.

Hope you all had a great time celebrating with friends, family, and food yesterday! Now, raid your parent’s refrigerator for all the good left-overs and settle in for some finals study time. If you’re still near campus, the library is still open for Wildcard Access from 6 a.m.-12 a.m., and you can find great digital resources Falvey’s librarians have put together here.

What’s your go-to Thanksgiving recipe and what tastes the best as left-overs? Let us know below!

By Jenna Newman

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Although it may look different this year, Thanksgiving is still a time to reflect on everything for which we are thankful. That might feel more difficult: what’s there to be thankful for in the middle of a global pandemic, right? But upon reflection, I discovered a cornucopia of things for which I am grateful. 

Extra Family Time
After I was sent home during my senior year of undergrad last semester, all I could think about was the time I missed with friends before we all moved on to what was next. I was also dreading being at home for the longest time since high school. But the last 10 months gave me an opportunity to spend extra time with my little brother before he went away to college, live with my future in-laws, play tons of games, and binge practically every movie on Netflix with my family. It’s easy to focus on what we missed out on this past year, but try to refocus on the time with loved ones that you may not have had otherwise. 

Flexibility with Courses
I wasn’t sure how courses were going to go this fall, especially with all the technical difficulties that marked last spring. But ultimately what last spring did was help provide professors and students more tools to connect virtually and allow the school to give more options with courses. Students are able to make the best decisions for them and their health and find a balance between in-person and online courses. Adjusting to a new semester’s worth of courses can be overwhelming even without additional problems, so added flexibility is definitely something to be grateful for this year. 

Health
My family has experienced COVID first-hand and seen how quickly the virus can take a life, but through all of that, I’ve tried to remember that it could always be worse and focus on the positives. I’ve been able to stay healthy throughout this time, and I’m grateful for that. It’s easy to look at the negatives. In reality, feeling comfortable to come to campus is a privilege many people don’t have. I know some people reading this probably have it worse than me, while others have it better, but keeping your health in perspective is important.

Books
Ever since middle school, I’ve complained about not having enough time to read. And whenever I did have time, I would binge read as much as possible. With social activities slowing down and spending more evenings at home, that’s allowed for more time to read. Plus, with Falvey being open for contactless pick-up, I’ve been able to check out all the books that have been on my reading list for ages. With the news and social media becoming overwhelming, books offer a way to escape into the lives of other people, real or fiction, for a couple hours.

(Shameless plug! I am running a book club that is currently reading the past One Book Villanova selection The Other Wes Moore. Learn how to join in on the fun here.)

Villanova
The last thing that I am so grateful for this semester, is that Villanova’s campus has been open throughout the entirety of the fall semester. The fact that we have to wear masks is a small price to pay for the social interaction that comes with being able to go into work twice a week and not have to attempt to do virtual presentations. My study habits would be considerably worse off if it weren’t for Falvey’s research librarians and having Holy Grounds as a go-to study space. 

Hopefully this list inspires you to take some time, and a break from studying, to reflect on the things you have, even in this crazy, chaotic year that is 2020. Share with me below what you’re grateful for this year!

Jenna Newman is a graduate assistant in Falvey Memorial Library and a graduate student in the Communication Department. Current mood: Thankful for all the good food I’m going to eat next week.

Drawling and photo courtesy of Shawn Proctor, Communication and Marketing Program Manager

Enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday, Wildcats! See you Monday.

Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Memorial Library. Her favorite Star Wars character is C-3PO (and more recently) K-2SO.

Photo courtesy of Villanova University Digital Library

“Never has America had greater occasion for Thanksgiving than today. Think of the manifold blessings for which we should be profoundly grateful…”

Leslie’s illustrated weekly newspaper, v. 127, no. 3298, November 23, 1918, details the ending of World War I. View the full newspaper on Villanova University’s Digital Library.

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