The Griffin Editorial: Final Thoughts

This is The Griffin’s last edition for the school year. With there being a multitude of topics that will continue to necessitate coverage for the next academic year, The Griffin would like to leave a few ideas and thoughts for our readers to ruminate with. 

Easter Monday

The Griffin believes there ought to be no class held on Easter Monday for future years. Not canceling classroom learning on the day after Easter leaves out-of-town – especially out-of-state – students in a precarious position: should they stay to celebrate the holiday with their families? Or do they return to school to not miss one of the final classes before the examination period? The raison d’être of last week’s five-day break was to celebrate Easter and yet, many a staff member at The Griffin and students in the community at large had to leave one chair unoccupied at Easter dinner. Others had to push off from the arms of loved ones and abandon the sonorous hum of jovial giggles of voices old and young, instead only hearing a solitary silence on the commute back to campus. The Griffin supports one less day off the week prior to Easter to allow families to stay together for the actual holiday. The Griffin understands that issues arise regarding equal amounts of days off from school, but believes such a sacrifice is worth examining for further consideration. 

Disappearing Programs

The Griffin has noticed a shared struggle across students of an array of departments who toil over limited options for classes to enroll in. From the journalism to political science to philosophy to history departments, the classes offered sometimes do not fulfill the requirements of graduating seniors or even advanced juniors. In efforts to graduate students, substitutions can be made, but the mere creation of substitutions signify a compromise in education. Whether it is due to a lack of professors or other reasons, the effect is real all the same in that students worry about their futures, their schedules and ultimately their education. 

Public Safety

In our April 4, 2025 article covering the United Student Association’s senate meeting, The Griffin reported on the Public Safety Liaison’s statement that there were staffing shortages that resulted in there being only one officer per shift. The scarcity of public safety officers on campus at a time is not only true, but felt by the student community. The Griffin has noticed a disengagement between Public Safety and the student population. Hearing the chief’s name and recognizing officers was a common practice no longer occurring. 

Voluntary Separation Incentive Program (VSIP)

The Griffin supports the VSIP, more colloquially referred to as the employee buyout, which offers financial incentives to leave Canisius. Such a program will undoubtedly increase short-term expenses, but The Griffin believes that this short-term setback of “buying out” potential retirees will be outweighed by future costs saved by no longer needing to pay yearly salaries. The Griffin staff had to grapple with involuntary departures from faculty members and find this voluntary opportunity to cut costs to be a more palatable alternative. 

Thank you

Thank you to our readers and contributors for your support for student journalism. Student journalism is journalism and we appreciate your continued understanding, patience and readership as members of our beloved staff depart, equipped with the tools to go forth and set the world on fire.