By Hannah Iqbal, Assistant Features Editor
Kyra Laurie, photo director for The Griffin, has recently entered her second year at Canisius. Laurie knew Canisius was the right choice for her after attending an open house session regarding a communications major and learning more about what she would be studying. Instantly, she realized that this was something she would truly enjoy pursuing. But that’s not all: in addition to this, Laurie decided that she also wanted to complete a major in digital media arts. Upon learning that she would be able to double major in both areas of study at Canisius, Laurie decided to commit right away.
Laurie attended high school at Mount St. Mary Academy in Kenmore, NY, where she served as the chief editor for the yearbook. Her tasks included taking pictures and uploading them, writing captions and constructing the layout. Laurie devoted countless hours to the yearbook, pulling some all-nighters to make sure it was perfect. Her experience as chief editor solidified her passion for design and creation, and it also served as a catalyst for her decision to join The Griffin.
Laurie's experience as chief editor of the yearbook makes her uniquely qualified to serve as The Griffin's photo director. She has been able to hone the skills she learned into taking pictures and editing them for Canisius’s newspaper. Despite just having begun her new role, she has already established a group of seven photographers. She enjoys discussing with her fellow photographers places of interest to snap photos at and then editing them. “Photos should be eye-catching,” she said. “When people see an eye-catching picture in the newspaper, they’ll want to read what’s behind it.”
Beyond her role as photo director, Laurie is very involved on campus with other clubs. She is the secretary of the Commuter’s Association, a member of Phi Sigma Sigma, a peer mentor for the First Year Experience course and has just recently served as an orientation leader.
When she’s not busy with school, Laurie enjoys spending time with her friends as well as her two dogs. To keep active, she takes long walks around her neighborhood. In addition to this, Laurie loves kickboxing in her free time as a way to de-stress and feel the best she possibly can.
As she progresses in her role, Laurie hopes that as photo director, she can continue to fill in the missing pieces. “Reading an article is one thing, but having an image to support it is a completely different thing. It really helps to enhance the article for the reader,” she stated. With her amazing sense of creativity and genuine passion for what she does, there is no doubt that Laurie is a great addition to The Griffin staff.