Mission 100 Days: The voyage of the ʻWhy not?'

By: Lucas Watson

Truth be told, the title of this article is partially ripped from a book I had taken from the library when they were clearing the second floor out, called “The Voyage of the ‘Why not?’ in the Antarctic.” But the few words, ‘The voyage of the ‘Why not?’’ stuck with me; in particular, the idea of ‘Why not?’ has stayed with me throughout my three to four years at Canisius. Most of everything I’ve done regarding Canisius has been a matter of why not? From the very moment we pulled into the driveway and saw the enthusiasm on the faces of those greeting us, it was still during the COVID days in 2021. But that enthusiasm was intoxicating; I had to be a part of that. I had to know what made everyone so enthusiastic about Canisius. So, I went through the first visit with skepticism, figuring I’d apply and end up going somewhere else anyway. I even changed my mind about where I had wanted to go and chose Canisius on a matter of

‘Why not?’ It was the best option I had for a good future.

In freshman year, I thought I had a good idea about where I wanted to go, what I wanted to do, what I figured I’d end up doing and everything. Needless to say, I was wrong. Things changed in entirely monumental ways in my life. I had decided to start submitting articles to The Griffin on ‘Architecture Around Buffalo,’ which is exactly what it was called for that matter! I formed relationships with peers and professors that I still maintain today, thanks to the friends I made and the articles I wrote. I was introduced to The Griffin office, an incredibly intoxicating place, during a print night. I mostly wrote for features, so that's where I wanted to try and move up in the staff. Long story short, I did become the assistant features editor by sophomore year. That was short-lived. There was a need for people to do layout, work with Adobe InDesign and set up how the newspaper looks when it goes to print. I figured out how to use it within a week,  and I’ve been a layout editor ever since. I had a brief stint as a foreign correspondent, too, one of the rarest titles The Griffin has to offer. 

Then, as many know, I went to London ~ 3,500 miles away from Buffalo, a whole world of difference and a world separated from everything I’ve known prior. Sure, I had visited for a week a few years before I came, but as anyone knows, living somewhere is a lot different than merely being a tourist. To put my words simply, I fell in love with London and Britain as a whole. I can put it into words, but it would take ten to fifteen thousand until I have exhausted all I can put together. So for matters of being concise (and giving myself a bit of a break when I put this into InDesign), there is something about London that just clicked in my brain. Since

Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, there has not been a single day that has passed where I have not thought about that ancient city. But the opportunity to travel and study there that was afforded to me by Canisius has changed my life, and these words do not come lightly. I was told, “You will never regret it,” when it came to studying abroad, and, truth be told, every single person who told me that was correct. Without a doubt, I will never regret having studied abroad. Yes, I left behind friendships for a while, as well as executive board positions and I missed an opportunity or two. But what I got out of it has been so much more rewarding that I feel that it was all worth it. To harken back to an earlier point, I had decided to study abroad on a matter of ‘Why not?’ and that is the glory in it.

Studying abroad was a matter of ‘Why not?’ instead of a truly planned-out thing. Sure, planning went into it, but the decision was ultimately, ‘Why not?’ When it comes to shooting in the dark, as long as you have a target or an endpoint in mind and you make a somewhat honest effort to hit that target, you’ll most likely hit it. But oftentimes, you just have to throw caution to the wind and just say, ‘Oh, screw it, what’s the worst that can happen?’ and the key thing is, don’t think about the worst thing that can happen; that’s a rhetorical statement. Just go for it, but use your head when you do. You just have to say, ‘Screw it, why not?’ So many things have been a matter of ‘Why not?’ – joining The Griffin, for example, Model UN and almost every single thing I have joined and become a part of. If I were to talk to the same Lucas Watson in 2021 who was still working at Tops Markets as a cashier and cart associate and tell him not even half of the things that he would end up doing, he would’ve called me a bald-faced liar.

Coming to Canisius and finding my niche among people, as well as discovering those I can be around and be unapologetically myself with, has been transformative in so many ways. You, the person reading this right now, try this: if you’re unsure of where you are or what you’re going to do, take the risk. Find your niche of people. Find the joy that I’ve managed to find at 10:30 at night with a fast-approaching print deadline in the office of The Griffin. Find your people.

Now, since I’ve narrowed down my choices of law schools in England, I have found my home for the future. I’ve gotten accepted to a number of them and it seems that the next chapter of my life will most likely be at the University of Southampton. So now, as this chapter of my life is coming to a close, I have begun thinking. I’ve sat and walked around with my thoughts, reflecting on my mistakes, on my successes, and on the incredible things I’ve managed to do during my time here at Canisius. Bits of this may read like a love letter, and in part, it is. But the truth is, it’s a great expression of my personal experiences, and I write this with reflection in mind and a message. 

There are so, so many things I can say about Canisius, London or anything that I’ve done in my past four years. I can tell stories of my time here for as long as I live. But for my final words in this paper, I leave you with this simple challenge:

I dare you to look at what lies before you and ask, “Why not?”