Just four months after being released from prison, Villanova alum and disgraced Just four months after being released from prison, Villanova alum and disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy picks up the pieces of his once cushy life.
Strategically utilizing media, junior Hannah Wagner turned her popular hobby into a success story
Over 350 million of us have Facebooks. Half of us log in at least once a day. Over 75 million of us Tweet compared to roughly six million a couple months ago. We are currently posting over four billion images on Flickr and viewing videos on YouTube more than two billion times.
The other day as I browsed through Facebook, I realized that I went from looking at my friend’s profile page to unintentionally stalking a guy named Karl. Karl is a single libertarian from Oregon who loves Bob Dylan, used books, nutella and “The Office.
As if the voyage up to your first intro to psychology class could have been any more exerting or confusing at 9:30 a.m., you also had to fall prey to the deceitful mezzanine level. What is that level used for anyway? Michael Brown, whose mezzanine level office you pass on your hike up the side entrance stairs of Tolentine Hall, can confirm from photographs he has seen that the first two floors of Tolentine used to be a high-ceiling dining hall for the seminary students who resided in the building.
Elephants are the only mammals that can’t jump. 7.5 million toothpicks can be created from a cord of wood. The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley’s gum. The average person makes about 1,140 telephone calls each year. The most common name in the world is Mohammed.
Approximately 250 times a day, I open up my lightning-fast, completely free-of-charge, never-malfunctioning Villanova laptop to access the internet. I would estimate that out of all my time online, about three percent is spent on things related to school, 32 percent on various blogs and news Web sites, with the remaining 65 percent devoted to mindlessly clicking around on Facebook.
Favorite song to sing in the shower? Anything by Hall and Oates. “Rich Girl” is Rudolph 312’s song of choice, but it’s just not the same without Caitlin and Bleuer. Worst pet peeve? People who crack their knuckles.
It’s no secret Villanova University prides itself on the fact that its alumni are eager to continue their family legacy by sending their children to share in the community that is Villanova. As the daughter of two Villanova graduates myself, I am familiar with the pride and passion Villanova alumni have toward their alma mater.
Growing philanthropic trends in everyday industries make doing good easier than ever
Villanova’s campus is alive with the spirit of service, and students follow a call to help others through service break trips, Habitat for Humanity trips, volunteering with the Special Olympics, St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service and the wide-ranging philanthropic efforts of Greek organizations.
What did you do over break? Nothing exciting or interesting, just my standard boring self. I usually try to get some work done, but not this time. Did you ever have to pay a visit to the dean while you were a student here? Yes. We had “visitation” rules back in the day.
It would take a person 400 years to watch all the videos on YouTube. The longest movie kiss, which occurs in "Andy Warhol's Kiss," lasted the entire 50 minutes of the movie. Leonardo DaVinci invented the scissors. Lightning strikes men about seven times more often than it does women.
Throughout history, scientists have used many misleading terms to name various animals. Much to my chagrin as a young boy, dragonflies do not breathe fire under even the most dire circumstances. The smoky grass mouse does not smoke grass. And as famously documented in “Finding Nemo,” clownfish are even less humorous than George Lopez.
Throughout history, scientists have used many misleading terms to name various animals. Much to my chagrin as a young boy, dragonflies do not breathe fire under even the most dire circumstances. The smoky grass mouse does not smoke grass. And as famously documented in “Finding Nemo,” clownfish are even less humorous than George Lopez.
Just four months after being released from prison, Villanova alum and disgraced Just four months after being released from prison, Villanova alum and disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy picks up the pieces of his once cushy life.
What did you do during the big snowstorms last week?
My friends and I had a football game in the snow, but it really just turned into everyone tackling each other. Someone even tore his ACL. It was intense. I also spent a long time digging my car out. It was really hard but ended up being really fun.
What is your favorite
karaoke song?
“The Power of Love” by Celine Dion.
Which character from “Sex and the City” are you?
Charlotte York, because she’s always optimistic and tries to keep it classy.
NovaFest: Is it happening this year?
Yes. Two days after my 21st birthday. They are actually changing the name to “Lizfest.”
What are you giving up for Lent this year?
I always give up chocolate, and this year I’m going to try to give up cheese too because I love it.
If you could be on any reality TV show, which would you choose?
“The Bachelorette,” and definitely not “The Bachelor” because I want to be surrounded by 25 guys instead of fighting for one. My other choice would be “Survivor.”
Beach or city?
I’m from Long Island so I have the best of both. I couldn’t live without going to the beach, but I was just in London last semester, and city life is never dull. I miss it.
What is the first thing you ate this morning?
Sadly, Domino’s pizza, but it was great. We were the first order of the day.
Salsa or guacamole?
They are two of my favorite foods, but recently I’ve been trying to create the world’s best guacamole, so I have to go with that.
If you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you would buy?
A private jet, because right now I’m on a travel kick. There are so many places I want to go.
If you’ve ever been to the law school’s library on West Campus, you know that the atmosphere is completely different from Falvey Memorial Library. This is because law students study differently from undergraduates.
“Their field is a highly research-based one, so they are really using those books that surround them,” said Scool of Law Dean Doris Brogan. “The work they are doing is more rigorous, and the library is viewed as a critical piece of their academic endeavor.” She notes that the Law School community is small, creating a sense of accountability, respect and trust among the faculty, staff and 750 students.
“We’re a proud member of the Villanova community, and we definitely benefit from its halo,” Brogan said, mentioning the success of the men’s basketball team, as well as the countless hours of volunteer work put in by undergraduates. “But we are effectively a self-contained unit. Unlike the nursing and engineering schools, whose students take classes all over campus, our students do all their learning in this building. It was built for them.”
By allowing serious undergraduates to study in its library (albeit only at certain times) the School of Law is able to strike a balance between providing the best environment for its students and remaining respectful of the Villanova community.
Every year in the middle of February, society undergoes a temporary schism. This brief cultural phenomenon can be attributed to an ambiguous saint from almost 2,000 years ago who has been instrumental in both improving and destroying the self-esteem of men and women since Feb. 14 was first named in his honor.
For those who are in relationships during this time period, Valentine’s Day can either be an awesome and memorable experience, or it can lead to complete disaster if the proper precautions are not taken. In most circumstances, it is a day when guys compromise all that makes them manly in the hopes of getting something extra special in return. Activities a girlfriend may loop you into include spending inordinate amounts of money on jewelry, looking through the card section at CVS for hours to find the perfect artificial sentiments or sitting through cinematic garbage starring actors like Meg Ryan or Hugh Grant.
If the plans you made for the day with your girlfriend did not include at least two activities as un-enjoyable as these, you’ll probably be flying solo faster than you can say, “I have an STD.”
On the other hand, those who are single during this holiday season often transform into hugely bitter beings who detest all of the Edward Cullen-caliber romancing displayed around them. Rather than simply ignoring all the pageantry they are “missing out” on, they act as if their existence is completely desolate and will never recover from not fully experiencing the day.
Or, if they are not wallowing in self-pity, they probably are actively campaigning to anyone who will listen about how dumb and shallow the holiday is.
This baffles me. Just because a particular holiday does not apply directly to your life does not mean you should bash it, since this essentially accomplishes nothing. Chinese New Year seems like a grand old time, but I’m not Chinese. Wouldn’t whining and moaning to everyone you know about such a predicament seem petty and insignificant?
While we all may wish our lives could be Taylor Swift songs (or books with Fabio on the cover), this is unfortunately unrealistic. Instead of spending this time worrying about what your life is lacking, why not appreciate the positives? Besides, at least you didn’t have to see the movie “Valentine’s Day” last weekend.
’Nova’s professors, volunteers help to extend education beyond the classroom
The mission of Villanova University has been ingrained into the minds of all who are a part of this Augustinian community. By educating prisoners serving life sentences, Villanova professors and adjuncs are fulfilling that aspect of our mission statement which promises that we are “building a just and peaceful world.”
The State Correctional Institution at Graterford is located 31 miles west of Philadelphia in Collegeville, Pa. The facility was built in 1929 and is Pennsylvania’s largest maximum-security prison.
Villanova has been educating and allotting degrees to prisoners at Graterford for the past 38 years. The program was founded by Dr. James J. McKenna, a former professor of sociology and director of both Villanova’s undergraduate program in criminal justice and graduate program in criminal justice administration.
McKenna has since passed, but his program lives on. Within the past five years, 16 professors, several Villanova adjuncts, graduate students and undergraduate students have volunteered their services to the Graterford program.
The program at Graterford was introduced by McKenna as a gesture of gratitude. McKenna was doing research for his thesis on career patterns in crime at Graterford. While performing research, he got to know many of the inmates well and proposed a degree program at the institution.
Dr. Stanley Jacobs, associate professor in the department of sociology and criminal justice, succeeded McKenna and is now director of the Graterford prison program.
In the past, other universities have been involved with Graterford. Much of the funding for these program came from state and federal grants, including the Pell Grants. These grants supported economically disadvantaged students. However, in the 1990s, Pell Grant eligibility for prisoners was eliminated, causing other colleges to withdraw from the Graterford program. Villanova did not. “Villanova made a vow,” says Jacobs, “and we plan to honor our commitment.”
Villanova is the only university to offer a degree program at Graterford for all eligible inmates. The only other program currently at Graterford is through Montgomery County Community College and they only offer education to inmates serving short sentences.
The University’s program at Graterford currently has 90 active students. Two courses are funded and taught by Villanova each semester, while additional courses are taught by volunteers. Sessions are held in classrooms within the prison facility. Prisoners who complete the Villanova credits earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Earning a degree generally takes about 10 to 12 years, and students must be eligible to earn a college degree. All Graterford students have to enroll in or test out of a college-prep course before taking Villanova classes. Grades are allotted the same way that they are at the University; GPAs are based on a 4.0 scale.
“The program at Graterford is really about bringing education to everyone we can,” says Dr. Jim Wetzel from the philosophy department who teaches an ethics and ACS course at Graterford. “We can’t be so narrow about who deserves an education.”
Statistics have proven that education received within a prison facility lowers any inmate’s chances of recidivism (returning to prison once they are released).
“Graterford, in a sense, is a satellite campus of Villanova.” Wetzel says. “These are our students, too. This program is one that makes me especially proud to be a Villanova professor.”
Besides receiving an education resulting in better behavior, these educated inmates are educating others within the prison as well.
“They show a true sign of compassion for one another,” says Joyce Zavarich, associate director of campus ministry and teacher of a peace and justice course at Graterford. “One of my students told me that he didn’t know about compassion until he met members of the Villanova community. Now he shares his newfound compassion with other prisoners.”
The general opinion of many of the teachers who teach at Graterford is that these inmates have developed a very deep appreciation for the opportunity to get an education, especially from a highly respected university like Villanova.
“It is a mistake to idealize or demonize anybody,” Wetzel says. “How these students respond to their environment reflects the education that they are receiving. Education done well asks people to find the best in themselves. Many of these men have been transformed.”
Teachers do not feel threatened when entering the Graterford facility. A strong trust has been established between the prisoners and the Villanova professors. Professors involved in the program don’t look at Graterford as a prison. Instead, they see a classroom with Villanova students that is located off campus.
“We are a Catholic university who claims to uphold Catholic values,” Zavarich says. “One of our basic values is human dignity of all persons. Committing a crime doesn’t mean that you lose your dignity.”
Once these inmates complete the Villanova program, they are given a proper graduation ceremony, dress in Villanova graduation garb and receive a Villanova diploma. If students are released and do not finish degrees, prisoners may petition to complete their studies on Villanova’s campus with the help of Presidential Scholarships.
Regardless of whether or not these graduates are eventually released or spend the rest of their lives in jail, they are all intelligent men who challenge the stereotype of a common criminal. These so-called “criminals” yearn for an education just as much as the students on Villanova’s campus, if not more so. And, according to Villanova, they are entitled to one.
What is the last interesting thing you read? “Rooftops of Tehran,” because it made me appreciate the freedoms of a democratic government. Who would play you in a movie about your life? Anthony Anderson, because he seems to have the natural sense of humor that I have in situations.
Barbie’s real name is Barbara Millicent Roberts, and she is from Willows, Wis. You consume 1/10th of a calorie every time you lick a stamp. Research shows that men know they are falling in love after three dates. Women don’t know until the 14th date.
While many students have shuttle times memorized to avoid the long walk from South or West to Main campus, they are less familiar with the off-campus or “white-line” shuttle. This route only makes four stops: Rosemont College, Falvey, Rosemont square and Bryn Mawr Hospital.
Over the course of my youth, my life’s foundation was rattled on many occasions. As I progressed through elementary and middle school, people, places and things that I had believed to be true were revealed to be mere illusions. The moments when I learned that the tooth fairy and pro-wrestling were not authentic certainly gave me a strong sense of disillusionment and angst.
When the modern-day American thinks of Valentine’s Day, an image is conjured up of red roses, heart-shaped Whitman’s Samplers and sappy Hallmark cards. We remember the days of signing cards in elementary school and begrudgingly giving them to everyone in the class — whether we wanted them to be our valentine or not.
After investigating the latest scares of energy drinks
‘Caffeine intoxication’ “Caffeine intoxication:” it’s the new catch phrase that experts are using to describe the detrimental effects of the energy drinks — Monster, Red Bull and Rock Star — that we all know and love.
If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? Shreya Trivedi, because I don’t get to see her enough this semester! What is one fact about yourself that you’d like people to know? In high school I attempted to become a lefty.
The ratio of people to TVs in the world is 6 to 1. In the United States, over 50 percent of first marriages end in divorce, 67 percent of second marriages end in divorce and nearly 74 percent of third marriages end in divorce. For the third year in a row, Philadelphia is America’s least attractive city according to Travel and Leisure magazine.
does Channel 18 stream a live video of the chapel in the monastery?
The live video feed is intended for ill or bedridden priests who live in the monastery but cannot make it downstairs for services, according to Robert Mays, UNIT’s director of network and communications. While that is the primary function of the streaming video, anyone can tune in for a service.
To some Americans, the fact that billionaire athletes, such as Tiger Woods, do not have lifestyles similar to the average person is incredibly shocking. The editors at the New York Post felt that Tiger's sexual exploits were worthy of their publication's cover even more than a commemoration of the 9/11 attacks.
The loss of love and the unexplainable slew of emotions that follow a failed relationship lead most people into silence. Why speak about something that brings forth thoughts of defenselessness and fear? "Battle Studies," the fourth and latest studio album from lyrical genius John Mayer, casts aside all the vulnerable feelings that come from heartbreak.
