In this installment of Heart of the Matter, those who were interviewed will be named. We hope you enjoy getting to know The Villanovan team, who have graciously shared their hearts with us this week.
Friendships can emerge in the most unlikely places, like a tucked-away basement office, for example. From the outside, it may simply seem the worst possible entrance to Corr Hall: steep stairs, and a door you need to pull at just the right angle to heave open. But if you get closer, you’ll see a light on and a hand-drawn sign above the door: The Villanovan.
Though it may go unnoticed by most, this basement office is a hub of activity throughout any given week, including interviews, weekly meetings for writers and Tuesday night productions, at which the editorial staff puts together the layout of the newspaper before sending it to the printing company to be delivered the next day.
“We work in this basement. No one even knows it’s here,” current Co-Opinion Editor and incoming Co-Editor-in-Chief Kailey Fahy said. “It’s like our own little corner of the world where time freezes during production.”
This sentiment is common among The Villanovan’s 18 editors, who spend every Tuesday night making edits, working on page design and, of course, watching Dancing with the Stars.
“When you’re spending time with people who you truly just love and admire and work so well with, time flies,” Associate Editor-in-Chief Lauren Armstrong said.
Each week, creating a newspaper is the product of an incredible team effort. Writers energetically research, interview and compose to create the contents of every edition.
“Ultimately the staff writers are the backbone of our paper,” Fahy said. “It’s their work each week that we’re putting out, and they’re the ones who are telling the stories that we share with the Villanova community and even beyond that. So just fostering a culture that makes us feel like one team is really important.”
Zoe Garrett, senior and political columnist, got involved with The Villanovan during her freshman year and has been writing in the news section ever since. In her four-year career, she has grown as a writer and developed a collaborative relationship with editors.
“As a writer more generally, having the flexibility to choose what you want to write about and the editors being, like ‘Yeah, totally go for it’ and supportive of that, that’s what I’ve really enjoyed,” Garrett said.
The teamwork it takes to create a weekly newspaper extends beyond writers and editors, though. Michael Bradley, the faculty advisor for The Villanovan, reads every article and encourages the staff to strive to raise the bar each semester.
“I hope to have them have the best experience they can have while still providing great coverage of Villanova,” Bradley said. “The one thing I always say to them is that they’re the ultimate influencers on this campus. There’s a chance to really make an impact on campus, and I want to encourage them to try to do that as much as they can.”
When reflecting on her time at The Villanovan, Co-Editor-in-Chief Nicole Liddicoat is proud to have been a part of this impact.
“I got to learn how to be a leader and shape the experience of a lot of other people on campus,” Liddicoat said. “I got to make sure that a lot of people’s stories were being told all over campus.”
While working to produce a meaningful product, the staff of The Villanovan is also unknowingly learning skills and lessons that will apply far beyond their graduation from Villanova.
“Something that writing for The Villanovan has helped me come to appreciate is taking big national news that might not seem to directly impact daily lives of people and shaping it and framing it in a way to connect it to the Villanova community,” Garrett said. “I think that’s something that I will continue to use in my life going forward. Even professionally and also just personally being able to try to convince someone why something that’s happening is important or why they should care even if they don’t directly feel the impacts of that on their day-to-day.”
Armstrong echoed this statement, saying her time with The Villanovan has taught her to value others’ opinions.
“It’s been really amazing learning how to kind of step back and listen to other people’s perspectives and really take that into consideration when looking at why there are issues and problems going on within society,” Armstrong said. “Just knowing that even though you might believe one thing, it doesn’t mean it’s the correct thing or the right thing to believe in.”
With so much time spent learning life lessons in the Corr basement office, The Villanovan is the product of many unlikely friendships and a spirit of camaraderie among its staff.
“Our staff is comprised of people from all different walks of life,” Liddicoat said. “We’re all involved in lots of different things on campus, and The Villanovan is what brings us all together. There’s a lot of people on staff I might not have known outside of The Villanovan, and I’ve gotten to become so close to these people and I’m so lucky to call so many of the staff my best friends.”
“Honestly, of all the things I’ve been involved in, it’s where I’ve made some of the closest relationships because we’re all so passionate and care about the same things,” Fahy said. “So I would encourage everyone to try and find a place on campus that fosters that same level of passion because here at The Villanovan, that’s where I’ve found it.”
This column is all about shedding light on the stories that shape the Villanova community and the many ways love is shared within it. Unbeknownst to you, this very paper is one of those expressions of love. I hope you feel the passion and teamwork and laughter that go into this newspaper every week. We loved making it almost as much as you are no doubt enjoying reading it. Now, go on. Turn to the next page.
