Sydney Umstead
As the spring semester comes to a close, News staff for The Griffin reflected on their favorite articles this year. Some are just beginning their journey at Canisius, and others are preparing to say goodbye.
Each writer is dedicated to reporting their stories; without them, the paper would neither be the publication that it was this year nor what it will become throughout the years.
As this year featured events like a major storm which destroyed a campus building, Editor-in-Chief Julia Barth noted those coverages as some of the most notable and also included an article on President Stoute’s inauguration, which featured both a preview and interview with Stoute himself, written by Jon Dusza. “Covering President Stoute’s first year at Canisius was pretty memorable,” Barth said. “It was so great to be able to sit down with him multiple times this year, too.”
Managing Editor Patrick Healy stated, “Our Lyons Hall coverage comes to mind for me,” when asked about his favorite News piece this year.
Both Barth and Healy are passing down their positions this year, and they will be missed on staff greatly. They have bestowed their legacy to Ava Green and Jon Dusza, respectively.
Dusza, notoriously called “Duz News” in the office — who has recently accepted a position as managing editor for the upcoming academic year — stated that his favorite piece of news was entitled “Dining hall dishwasher destroyed in explosion.”
“It was an article that I enjoyed writing: the topic was interesting and slightly funny, which makes it stand out in my mind,” said Dusza.
News section contributors were also fun, interesting and informative throughout this year in News. With each article, the writers brought forth their hard work. Now–Assistant News Editor Delaney Hayden stated that her favorite article she wrote this year was “Living Out Dr. Martin Luther King’s Light, Leadership & Legacy.”
“Getting to know Mr. Williams [Bennie Williams] more, as well as learning more about the mission of the ALANA center and all the events they host made me very proud to attend an institute who makes the greatest efforts to be so inclusive of everyone, looking to honor and remember all different cultures, backgrounds and walks of life,” said Hayden.
Hayden also noted her gratitude for the paper and contributions done by all the writers.
News Contributor Alyssa Kornacki covered the story “Free Tickets to June Tech Conference for Canisius Students.” Kornacki touched on why this article was her personal favorite of hers and plans to attend the event alongside her father who is an alumni of Canisius College. “Talking to Matt Gracie [a professor in the Cybersecurity department], who was incredibly passionate about the program, was amazing,” said Kornacki.
News contributor Sam Chapman stated his favorite article came into being when he wrote about Canisus switching to test-free admissions. Chapman made the front page and said he was so excited that he “grabbed probably 15 copies of it to make sure I could prove that it really happened.”
Chapman also covered a “Beyond the Dome” story about President Biden pardoning federal marijuana charges and said the article got “a comically positive response.”
As this year at Canisius comes to an end, there have been multiple news articles that exemplify each staff writer and their own news-writing abilities. This year in the news has certainly been an eventful one, and The Griffin thanks the contributors who made it possible.