Left my heart in San Francisco, for the 2nd time

By: Sophie Asher, Multimedia Director

The trip to California for the Associated Collegiate Press Spring Media Conference has been one of the most memorable parts of my time at Canisius. As a veteran member of The Griffin staff and the only student who has attended the trip all four of my years here, it’s about time I write about my experiences. 

Let’s go back to the beginning – my freshman year, when I was invited to attend the conference. Due to COVID-19, The Griffin had taken a few years hiatus from traveling to California. By December 2022, however, most of the pandemic’s disruptions had subsided, making it possible for the trip to resume. 

I received a message from then managing editor, Patrick Healy, sharing the exciting news that The Griffin would be returning to California. This was new to everyone on staff, since no one in the club had experienced the conference yet. At this point, I was eighteen years old, with a very small position on The Griffin (I barely did anything, I’m not sure why they kept me around).

I was sitting on the couch with my family watching a Bills game when I got the announcement on GroupMe. I was surprised and intrigued. “Should I go?” I remember asking my parents. I hardly knew anyone yet, and part of me wondered if it might be too soon – but at the same time, I figured I had nothing to lose.

The 2023 San Francisco trip ended up being my first positive college memory. Don’t get me wrong – there were moments when I felt a bit out of place: I was easily the youngest person there, and one of the few not studying journalism or on the pre-law track, so some of the conversations at the conference felt a little overwhelming. However, sitting here now, I can recall some fond memories, like meeting in front of the “giant a** purple ball” (OGs know), almost getting blown over on the Golden Gate Bridge and nervously laughing my way through a game of Mafia, too shy to accuse anyone of murder.

That leap of faith in 2023 led to three more consecutive trips in the years that followed. 

In 2024, we touched down in La Jolla, where we stayed at this tropical hotel, played games in the hot tub, walked across a giant freeway to get to the conference and spun around on the quirky, spinny chairs outside of Handel’s ice cream.

Last year, we enjoyed Long Beach. I learned a lot of great tips about restructuring our Instagram that year – so I did! We also discovered our appreciation for Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. (well – some of us did) while spending time watching whales, touching giant pennies and being sunburnt.

The trip we returned from just this week was my finale, and it felt like a full-circle moment. I ended exactly where I started – in San Francisco – but this time with an entirely different set of staff members by my side. While we laughed our way through the streets of San Francisco, sipping our Philz Coffee and counting the endless Waymos, I couldn’t help but feel incredibly happy. I could truly sense how much I had grown as a member of The Griffin. 

Like I mentioned earlier, I used to hate the game Mafia – it put me in the spotlight and made me feel pressure from everyone around me. This year, though, I actually enjoyed it, which honestly surprised me. If anything, I may have been a little too accusatory and borderline annoying. I was just being plain old me. 

It seemed like the dark, cloudy skies shown in my freshman year photo had bloomed into the bright, blue ones my senior year. 

“See the light coming through the windows?” the Alcatraz tour guide asked. “You all got lucky today – most of the time, it’s freezing here.” 

I could feel the light within me – the light that had grown over time.

So, next time you’re on the fence about doing something BIG – take that leap. It might trap you in the school newspaper for almost four years, but it will be completely worth it.

Via Marissa Burr and Katie Dusza