Canisius at a Crossroads
At some point in the last few years, all of our feet, letters or applications crossed through the admissions office at 2048 Main Street in Buffalo. But where were we before that? Where will all of us be in the next ten years? What were the chances that 18 coeds from all different places and headed in completely different directions would have the chance to cross paths every week in a room with water-damaged walls, uncomfortable couches and a drawer full of candy?
From a practical standpoint, there actually was a high chance of all the editors of The Griffin meeting this way. With a large percentage living the majority of their lives in upstate New York, paths were bound to cross; add in many seeking degrees in journalism or similar fields, it makes sense they were drawn to The Griffin once at a school with strong corresponding programs. But not everyone started out on the staff as a first-semester freshman. Somehow, whether it was God, the universe, fate or the will of some other higher power, all of us ended up here together at this moment.
There’s a cliche saying stating that college is the best four years of your life. It’s not wrong, but not inherently right either: much too general. For some of us, four years consisting of eight semesters will not be the exact amount of time spent at Canisius. Furthermore, college is a new experience for everyone, and going through so many changes at once can be difficult. Even while attending classes, watching sporting events and being decked out in college gear, people are not in a protective bubble where they’re safe from the problems of the world. As a staff we’ve experienced loss, health crises and other things we can’t always bring ourselves to share with each other. Essentially, once 17-18 year olds have completed a certain number of years in school, they’re thrown into a lake and forced to try and keep their head above water with just the resources they can find for themselves.
For the editors, The Griffin has been their life jacket. With each wonderful memory we make on staff trips and hanging out every Thursday evening a new piece of hope is given to them that everything will turn out okay. It may have been rough getting to the office in the basement of the Student Center, and there will be challenges once we walk through it for the last time, but every moment in between will have made it all worth it. So no, college isn’t the best four years because every moment is perfect, but rather it provides experiences and people that will support us along the way. I personally am glad that my life led down this road–however hard it’s been–because without each hardship, I never would have gotten the chance to cross paths with the amazing people on The Griffin staff.
MB and The Griffin Editors