Mission 100 Days: Philosophy, Churchill Tower, and the Snow around it

By: Elizabeth Shingler, Layout Director

Shingles here, and in an official capacity, for once. The sun is setting on my time at Canisius, and it’s time to settle in for campfire stories. 

Before I fully get into it, I feel like I should slightly explain Shingles. Yes, it is I who is Shingles. It is weird writing that down. How do I express that I said that out loud? Or I said it how Miley Cyrus took off her wig to the crowd in the “Hannah Montana” movie? To me and some people, it was very obvious that I am Shingles, yet there have been too many instances where people have looked me in my face and asked. The incredibly amusing part of that is my name is right above: Elizabeth Shingler, Layout Director.

Shingler in front of Churchill Tower, one of the rare times she is not inside it. VIA Rachel Lapinski

Remembering when I joined, or rather when I was drafted into, The Griffin. It started with expressing a passive interest in designing a newspaper. The first meeting with The Griffin I met with the previous layout director, Sara Umbrell. Little did freshie me realize, there was a desperate need for “layouting.” Sara took me under her wing, and with moderate success I started designing the paper. I would get rather ‘good’ at being the invisible face of the paper. I cannot accurately say that I am a silent contributor in the paper, that is anything but true. I now believe that my yapping nature has primed me for the majors I pursued and will continue to pursue. 

At this point in the semester, you would think I could have come up with a more creative or unique way to express my “Mission 100 Days.” Perhaps I have, perhaps not. There is also a self-imposed notion that I would have picked a better theme or “thesis” for my Mission 100 Days, which I tried. The current ink you are holding is the fifth draft [of many, I can assure you]. The only way I can assure I do not completely hate this piece is by continually writing new drafts. The essay that I sent out to colleges and universities when I applied had been the tenth draft of that particular prompt.

 I chickened out of confirming Canisius at Accepted Students Day. I remember staring at the tables with friendly faces all ready to help me lock in my place here, but I could not do it. I think had it been less overstimulating, and without that damn bell, I probably would have. I mean, I did lock in less than a week after Accepted Students Day.

I will spare the details and misadventures of freshman to senior year. After many drafts of this ~writing~ I settled on the three heavy hitters of Canisius that I know I will miss the most. 

The first heavyhitter: Churchill Tower. 

Partly I am joking and mean the campus at large, but another part of me has grown rather fond of “the C Battery of Main Street.” Or “the beer can” as my favourite alumnus called it. 

I usually spend a ridiculous amount of time in the tower. My typical haunt is either the philosophy floor or any of the second floor classrooms. I have spent many lunch periods tearing up market mac and cheese with pizza in those classrooms. 

If I’m not ‘reading my eyelids’ on the couch in the Thinkery, I am yapping with fellow philosophers. My appreciation of the tower primarily covers the practicality of the location and ability to snipe a professor after class. I am really going to miss the connection in the tower and the slightly pie-shaped offices.

Shingler with members of Phi Sigma Tau, 2025. VIA Dr. Loughead

I truly fell in love with philosophy here at Canisius. What started as a required class for the honors degree and a passive interest ended up with me changing my major and thesis topic.

My dad once asked me a very important question, which at the time I treated as benign, “would you recommend Canisius to another prospective student, like how I did?” When my dad talked about Canisius, he mentioned a specific priest on his floor in Bosch as an influential faculty member for him. I am grateful for all of my professors at Canisius, but I want to thank Dr. Loughead and Dr. Chanderbhan by name. Most of my favorite classes I have taken have been with them. It was also by them that I have ever been called a “gadfly” which is entirely too accurate.

Buffalo had always been an interesting place to drive to, but until living up here, I never spent a meaningful amount of time considering it. It had always been a city to me. Buffalo will return to being “the city two hours away.” Leaving here in May, I know I will inevitably find that I left behind some of my heart while unpacking this summer. Some of my heart will be stuck in the METRO station after missing the train to Aldi. Another piece will be attempting to zipper merge off exit 51W to Buffalo. The rest of the piece I leave here will wait to frolic in the snow and people watch in the summer.

The spirit of Canisius University will get tucked into my purse like a complimentary pen I will always carry with me. I know the ideas I unfurled here will never go back into the bag that they came in. 

I want to thank The Griffin for creating some truly positive memories and experiences [well, I can’t just say thanks for 3 free trips to Cali]. I really enjoyed meeting everyone and watching my peers grow into their editor positions. 

I would also like to thank the office I work/studied with, specifically Rachel Lapinski. It was so incredibly nice to meet you my freshman year and continue to lightly gossip ever since. There truly was “never a dull moment” in our office. 

I suppose I should actually finish writing at some point, I need to let the editors do their jobs after all, and I suppose 1043 words isn’t that bad. 

To quote my favourite country artist, George Strait, “my heart is sinking like a setting sun, setting on the things I wish I'd done. Oh the last goodbye's the hardest one to say, and this is where the cowboy rides away.”

Elizabeth and "her favorite alumni" at a Kid's Day Buffalo Bills game. VIA Lou Ann Shingler