By Maddy Lockwood, Assistant Features Editor
Canisius and the surrounding Buffalo area have so many places and activities that new Griffs should check out to get the full experience in their new home.
Throughout orientation week and the beginning of the semester, there are activities and events hosted by clubs on campus that are great opportunities for freshmen to meet people and find clubs that they would enjoy participating in. Some of my favorite activities to participate in include the following:
The bonfire — Hosted by C-Block, Canisius’s student section for athletic competitions, the bonfire is typically held the weekend before classes start. It is a large welcome back to the entire student body where students are encouraged to bring anything purple they are willing to donate and burn. In return, they receive a small gift (the color of Niagara University, Canisius’s biggest rival, is purple). Music, food and performances by our Dance Griffs and Cheer Team help kick off the semester.
Thursdays in the Quad — These events are sponsored by the Student Programming Board and held weekly on Thursday afternoons throughout the fall semester. There are food trucks and activities brought into the Quad in front of Palisano free of charge for the whole Canisius community to enjoy.
Attending D1 competitions — Visiting Canisius’s Koessler Athletic Center to watch and support any of our Division 1 athletic teams can be a fun activity to do on the weekends or after classes.
Going off campus during some free time is a fantastic way to connect more with the Buffalo community and find new things to do. I’ve collected some ideas here:
Exploring the Elmwood Village — Elmwood is full of small boutique-like stores, cool places to eat and cute cafes to sit, sip, relax and study in. My favorite places on Elmwood are ShopCraft, Squeeze Juicery, Spot Coffee and Overwinter Coffee.
Enjoying the outdoors in Forest Lawn Cemetery — Fall in Buffalo may be the most beautiful time to be outdoors in nature. While Forest Lawn is a cemetery, it is more thought of as a park, so don’t be scared away from the idea of visiting. It offers places to walk, bike, run and just enjoy yourself in the outdoors. You’ll discover it is a great place to destress throughout the semester and catch a moment to yourself. You can find other students in the cemetery having picnics or some of our athletic teams out on runs throughout the day.
Hopping on the Metro — On campus we have two metro rail stops which quickly connect our campus to downtown Buffalo. Downtown you have opportunities to enjoy dinner, explore Canalside, watch our D1 Hockey team compete and maybe see a Sabres or Bandits Game. You can apply to receive an NFTA pass that allows you to use the Metro for free as a Canisius student through the monthly email.
Going to a Bills Game — Whether or not you are a born and raised Western New Yorker or a transplant Buffalonian, you must go enjoy the experience that is a Buffalo Bills home game. Roughly 25 minutes from Canisius is Highmark Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills, and it is worth the time and effort to get there. The Bills Mafia (as Bills fans are called) contain some of the most dedicated football fans you will encounter, and you can find fans tailgating from the Thursday before a Bills Game until the day of. Tailgating starts as soon as parking lots open and is an all-day event filled with good food, table smashing and building excitement as kickoff approaches. As a season ticket holder, my advice is to go to an early season game to avoid some of the frigid temperatures. Although I will add that there is a special camaraderie about being in the brutal weather of Buffalo with 71,000 other fans, if that is more up your alley.