Meet the editors: Marissa Burr

Madelynn Lockwood, Asst. Features Editor

Following her discovery of The Griffin’s Orientation Edition, Marissa Burr decided it was time to reach out to our staff to become a contributor. After contributing just twice and showing great enthusiasm for the publication, Grace Brown, The Griffin’s Opinion editor, reached out to offer the position as her assistant. Burr jumped at the opportunity and fell in love with it — all of it. It wasn’t long before Burr was promoted to co-opinion editor along with Brown, and now they work side-by-side, with Burr in Buffalo and Brown studying abroad in Scotland.

Burr shared that her favorite part of being on The Griffin staff is undoubtedly the people! She explained that Thursdays — editing nights — are her favorite part of the week, so much so that she requests time off from work and dedicates the whole day to writing and editing. Majoring in creative writing and having four years of experience in journalistic writing made writing for The Griffin an easy transition for her, both as a writer and being on the editorial staff.

More than anything in the paper, it’s the Opinion section that holds her heart. In high school, she was the editor-in-chief of her high school newspaper, The Spectator, where she started an Opinion column. Both in high school and college, Burr has appreciated the freedoms that the Opinion section allows for. It has led her to write things that she’s even felt were “too controversial.” She went on to explain, “It’s just complete and utter freedom of speech [and] of the press. … It is the embodiment of the first amendment, and I love it.”

Sadly, at the end of this semester, Marissa will be transferring to SUNY Fredonia. Moving back to Fredonia is not a decision that came lightly for her, but she wanted to be closer to her main support system. Although she is leaving, she is not going without a handful of memories that have made her two years at Canisius memorable and hard to say goodbye to. Marissa recalls some of her favorite memories: “The San Francisco trip in general, every piece of it,” referring to the trip that The Griffin staff took in the beginning of the month to the ACP Spring College Media Conference. She also recalled what she named “Marissa Fest,” where she celebrated her 18th birthday with her best friend over multiple days, ordering takeout food and going to fun places around Buffalo.

Burr’s enthusiasm and dedication are clear in the finished product of every edition. She has become a well-loved member of The Griffin staff despite her short two semesters with us, making this a bittersweet “Meet the Editors,” where we are also wishing her farewell after her time here at Canisius.