Mom: “Now, Tina, what do you have to be thankful for this holiday season?”

Dad: “I know Villanova has taught you to be thankful for something!”

Me: “Hmmm … well … “

What Villanova should be thankful for:

1. Public Safety: Without our stand-in Moms and Dads present at every residence hall, you never know who might be creeping into your bed at night. They shoo away the Mr. or Ms. McShady from your halls. Don’t forget the Thanksgiving meal they served you last week. Those who tried butting in the lines in the Spit knew the wrath of our Villanova enforcers. Wasn’t the cranberry sauce delicious?

2. Formal season: Just when you thought you were totally smitten with the boy or girl of your dreams, a bump started forming on your lip. Let’s just say you are now thankful that you do not have a cold sore and yes, your life will go on.

3. E-mail server: Picture this: two weeks ago you’re sitting in front of the computer waiting to send your psychology paper that was due three days ago, your teacher is nagging you and your life, well, is basically over. You click on Internet Explorer, knowing full well that UNIT has been working overtime to meet your every need, and finally it happened, your message count was no longer unavailable, and you will not be entering the Psych ward.

4. It is true, the inhabitants of Good Counsel are now getting backlash for their noble efforts of entering the guaranteed junior housing lottery. It’s 3 a.m. on a Friday night, and you hear a piercing scream coming from two doors down. Just keep running toward the scream, you and your roommates think. Soon, everyone is out of the rooms, like the stampede scene from “Jumanji,” only Villanova-style, as the screamer would later describe. No animals, just pearls and boat shoes running at you. Finally, you find what all the commotion is about. The screamer had stepped on the sticky mouse trap, but, despite all the horror, there was no mouse.

5. Contrary to last year when you sat staring at the “Master Class Schedule” five hours before you scheduled for classes, you refused to have the terror of a 9 p.m. registration time and have the fire alarm go off. This year, you checked every so often and sat with the time.gov Web site up on your browser to have the official time. As for the fire alarm, you were not taking any chances and decided that setting up camp on Mendel Field with wireless is what you would be thankful for this year.

6. October was the month you decided to bribe your little brother or sister to acquire a lounge chair and set up camp right near the mailbox. You didn’t care what it took: watching Barney, playing tag or driving them all over creation. They were going to intercept your failure notice before the parental units got a hold of it. Unlike your grade, this was a success!

7. The Bartley Exchange meal plan: Without those extra points from the meal office, you would not be able to survive as a business student.

8. The Kissing Booth was an excuse for you to “work on your game” during Halloween weekend. Truly live up to the motto of the booth … it’s not easy being easy.

9. The Villanova shuttle: Without this mode of transportation, I would be dodging cars on Lancaster Avenue.

10. Villanova basketball: More specifically, the mother and father who birthed the surgeon who fixed Curtis Sumpter’s ACL.

Me: “Yes, Mom and Dad, that is what I am thankful for this wonderful holiday. Thank you for sending me to Villanova.”