The Griffin Volume LXXXVI, Number 3

Opinion

cutout comes to congress

Volume LXXXVI, Number 3

features

The one person 6 against francis

sports

Maloy has strong 7 race at notre dame

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Catholic University of America shuts down to welcome Pope Francis as it hosts the Canonization Mass of Juníper Serra.

Back

25 September 2015

Photo by CJ Gates/Editor-in-Chief

Francis preaches inclusion, mission of love in his first trip to the United States

By CJ Gates

Editor-in-Chief

& Kyle Ferrara

Features Editor

Twenty-five thousand people gathered at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate at Catholic University of America to celebrate Mass with Pope Francis on Wednesday, 23

Sept. Earlier that day, 20,000 others stood outside the White House to hear his opening address on his trip to the United States. Thousands more packed the sidewalks of Constitution

Ave. to see him drive by in the Popemobile. The entirety of the United States’ capitol shut down to welcome the leader of the Catholic Church.

The day’s main event was the

Canonization Mass of Father Juníper Serra, who became the first Hispanic saint recognized by the Church. While the Mass, said entirely in Spanish, primarsee Pope @ 3

The quiet campaign for Science Hall: The growing pains of a not-for-profit

By Jesse PR Prieto News Editor

With a price tag of $35 million and an expected run time of two years, Canisius President and former Griffin Editor John J. Hurley is hopeful in his ability to woo donors to invest in the longevity of the college. With phase two complete, itself costing $26 million, and the booming medical sector of Buffalo, Canisius looks to its hard science programs as a way to stay in step with the region as a wave of investment and attention hit the area.

“Where Canisius is, Buffalo is going,” said Bill Collins, Vice

Since 1933

President for Institutional Advancement.

This growth, or institutional advancement as the college has self-labeled its efforts, comes at a cost. Not-for-profits face a steep hill when talking about advancement. The education sector, which is almost entirely non-for-profit itself, is unique in that its market is the same as its product.

The College sells itself to its students, promising to shape them over a four-year period into a product that will be sought out by employers in the future.

Of course, this is an incredibly simplistic summary of the economics behind a collegiate

institution, and does not account for publications, research.

Even when all cash flows are accounted for, institutions still fall short of the needed income to build.

Canisius College, like any not-for-profit organization, faces the problem of finding a sustainable means of growth. Science Hall, a belabored talking point over the past five years, remains a high strategic priority for the long-term success of Canisius College.

With Roswell Park, one of the top cancer research institutes in the world, University at Buffalo’s new urban medical campus, a growing pharmaceu-

Canisius College, Buffalo, N.Y.

tical manufacturing sector, and nationally recognized medical programs, Buffalo is taking strategic steps to knit these science and medical components of the region together to become a new economic backbone.

According to donor-targeting literature developed by the Office of Institutional Advancement, phase two of Science Hall, which began in the early Fall of 2012, renovated 120,000 square feet of space and was “designed to break down barriers between disciplines”. The Legacy of Leadership campaign, Canisius raised the entire pot of $26 million needed to build what is now the basement and ground level

of Science Hall.

This generosity is no stranger to Canisius. As Collins explained, the donor base has been strong and continues to grow at a sustainable pace. At the close in May of the 2014-15 fiscal year the Canisius Fund received gifts from 685 individuals “ranging from 10 dollars to 10,000 dollars.”

An integral part of the work done by Institutional Advancement is the solicitation of donors; focusing on large benefactors to inspire others that their money has been well given.

Collins drew attention to see College @ 2 Design 2015 Annie Niland

2 NEWS

25 September 2015

Laptops removed to make room in the budget for stronger bandwidth

By Matt Wrobel Griffin Reporter

“We have some donors who we are hoping will be open to making major commitments to it and there’s a couple of large ones.

If we are successful I think they will create a domino effect.”

College: continued from front

substantial gifts as evidence of the College’s ability to entice large benefactors. Recent examples include a sum amounting to $5.1 million for the second phase of Science Hall from Carle Montante ‘64, or Philip C. Lombardo ’48 who had $1 million set aside in his estate that was put towards the library renovations.

“We are talking to known supporters of Canisius College. People who we know have a great deal of interest and who have supported the College in the past,” said Bill Collins. He then added that under President Hurley’s direction, “the number one priority of funding for the College is the completion of Science Hall.”

The courting of these major benefactors takes time. “Its not as easy as saying ‘Hey can we get together?’ and then over a cup of coffee someone makes an astronomical gift to you. It’s a conversation.”

This conversation is already underway with what has been said to be several major players

who are connected to the College, and want to be a part of its legacy. “We have some donors who we are hoping will be open to making major commitments to it,” said Collins, “and there’s a couple of large ones and if we are successful I think they will create a domino effect.”

Palisano Pavilion, Montante Cultural Center, and Lyons Hall are all examples of past families or individuals who chose to endow the college with the means it needed to step forward.

“If you go to Science Hall on the first floor there’s a big display of individual’s companies and foundations of people who contributed to the first phase of Science Hall.

They have major gifts where they have classrooms and spaces that are named in their honor and that is one of the way that we recognize our donors,” said Collins.

While President Hurley stated in his convocation earlier this year that he plans on completing this campaign by 2017, Bill Collins chose not to comment on the timeline at all. Rather, he stressed the pointed strategy of the

college in focusing its attention on a short list of interested parties.

“We don’t have a list a mile long, but we have a pretty good idea of who is interested in Canisius College. Either they attended here, their children attended here - there's some connection to the College.

And that they feel the College is going in the right direction and they want to be a part of it.”

Overall the strategy seems to be this: small donations are good for publicity, showing a swell of ground support for the longevity of the college.

However, large gifts are much more expedient in terms of time. As Buffalo moves towards a medically-inclined economy, Canisius’ focus on the hard sciences will be more crucial than ever. With a $35 million price tag, alumni and friends of of the College are needed now more than ever if Canisius is to take this step forward.

@jessewashere94 prietoj@canisius.edu

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Contact News Editor Jesse Prieto at prietoj@canisius. edu and start today!

Renting laptops was once a commonplace service provided by Canisius College’s Bouwhuis Library, however as of this semester the last few units have been phased out. According to library records, the loaner laptops were taken out roughly 27,000 times over any given school year. This equates to about 73 times per day.

With the growing size of textbooks and other necessary tools for class, librarian and Public Services Supervisor Matthew Kochan believes the program should have been renewed. “If we have computers here, you could leave yours at home…

If you have an older laptop that’s a considerable weight [the school laptops would be helpful].”

Kochan believes the discontinuation of the loaner laptop program was due to budgetary concerns within the school. He understands that, as personal electronic devices of students became smaller and lighter, the school could do away with the program, but felt that the program offered a great alternative to students who were encumbered with carrying multiple heavy textbooks to and from classes on a daily basis.

However, a Spring 2013 survey taken by The Library and Information Technology Services Center revealed that “upwards of 80 percent of students” had access to their own personal laptop, tablet, or other wireless, internetcapable device, according

to Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Terri Mangione. It was upon this revelation that a Non-Academic Program Review Board, made up of the College’s senior leadership, determined that the program was no longer in the College’s best interest.

“We no longer have the resources to do everything we used to do,” said Dr. Mangione, “so our job was to determine what’s a need, what’s a want, and how do we prioritize the needs and reduce the priorities for the wants. The decision was then made to stop renewing the laptops, and to let the program phase out.”

Mangione noted the laptop loaner program ran on a three-year cycle, in which 10 of the 30 laptops would be replaced every year. Following the decision of the Review Board in Spring 2013, this renewal would come to an end and at the end of that cycle, the program would be diffused all together.

Dr. Mangione was quick to note, however, that the money saved from the phasing out process was nothing if not put to use.

“Wanting to meet the student’s technology needs…a decision was made…to, over a five-year period, improve the wireless [Internet access] over the entire campus, which was seen as a greater need,” Mangione said.

Mangione explained that with the over $8,000 in estimated annual laptop maintenance, as well as other re-allocated funds, thousands of dollars have been spent on Wi-Fi and Internet upgrades. She

continued to say that these IT improvements have increased the amount of available bandwidth for college Internet users.

“When I started talking with students… it was pretty clear,” said Mangione. “Go with the bandwidth and Wi-Fi.” Magione added that many librarians were supportive of the loaner program, but they conceded the service as a convenience rather than a need.

The Board guided the development of the Canisius IT infrastructure based on budget restrictions and student input.

Although they admit that the decisions were difficult, both library staff and student government leaders at the time wanted to keep the programs. However, The Board made budgetary cuts as necessary to best meet the students’ needs.

With the elimination of laptops from the library, there is a promise that WiFi in the school will be better than before. Yet there remains a general sense of concern among the student body as to the quality of Wi-Fi, with many agreeing that the overall wireless Internet connection has been worse this year than last. While one may easily argue that a tradeoff between laptops and Wi-Fi is reasonable, until Wi-Fi improves on campus it is unclear how students are benefitting.

@matt_wrobel21 wrobel4@canisius.edu

The 1920s come roaring back Heritage sweaters return to Canisius

By Robert Creenan News Reporter

If you got an email yesterday about a new kind of sweater that looks like its been pulled straight from a 1920’s college poster, it’s because they may soon be one of the hottest items on the Canisius campus.

These sweaters are the brainchild of juniors Jeffrey Spencer and Jeff McGuire.

It came to McGuire after he saw an old Canisius sweater his dad had.

"We also saw some of these in cases outside the Koessler Athletic Center, and a couple of months later, I tried looking for one off of Craigslist,” Spencer said.

“And I finally found one from someone’s dad who graduated in the 1920’s in perfect condition. After that we spent the next year contacting different manufacturers and got prices around $130 and $400. A friend of mine got an oldfashioned sweater like this at Trinity College in Connecticut, done by Hillflint.

We reached out to the head

manufacturer and we’ve been off and running since then.”

The company making these, Hillflint, has only been around for three years, was a start-up company founded by former Princeton students. But they went viral quickly with their initial Ivy League sweaters. Now they have about 80 schools that they make sweaters like these for.

The details sent out in the mass email were for a pre-order, for the Senate subsidized price of $40, but only if the initial interest of 50 students is met. This initial sale period goes until October 6.

“The Senate liked the idea so much that they wanted to subsidize the first 50 by $15,” Spencer said, who is also a junior class senator. “The sweaters that Hillflint usually sells like the proposed Canisius one, cost around $85. Those are for places like Harvard, Columbia, Yale, etc. The price they’re giving us is $55.

We’re also discussing student organizations getting

this sweater as their apparel item, and subsidizing that depending on who in their organization wants one. So this subsidization could expand.”

“Right now we just have this one order, but hopefully, there will be enough demand that it can just order it, and it will get here in a week,” said McGuire. “As of right now, once we send the pre-order in, it will take 8-10 weeks for them to arrive, hopefully before the end of the semester”.

If this initial design of retro sweater is successful, Spencer and McGuire hope to add more designs to the lineup. “There’s a long-standing tradition at Ivy League schools that just have the year you graduate on them. And that’s it,” Spencer said. Hopefully, we’ll recreate those for the Class of 2017. I think there’s definitely a market for traditional styling and heritage items. Long-term, we want to expand into different items, like ties.”

“I think that students see Sweaters @3

NEWS 3

25 September 2015

College looks forward to new freshman class

By Justin Smith

Assistant News Editor

It’s safe to say Canisius is going through changes.

Whether it be the academic faculty, the administration, or even the library, one needs not look far to see the evidence of Canisius dynamic nature. It is also clear, as evidenced by Canisius’s changing ad campaign, that the college is altering the way it attempts to attract prospective students. This Saturday marks the first of Canisius’s two open houses this semester, where prospective students will get a top-tobottom preview of the campus and begin on the process of deciding if our institution is the place they will receive their higher education.

“We are offering up what prospective students are most often interested in when they’re doing a college search in an Open House event,” said Justin Rogers, the college’s new Director of Undergraduate Admissions.

This means a tour, a student services fair, academic sessions, overviews on admissions and financial aid, and an informational session entitled “Planning for Four Years and Beyond.”

The new ad campaign’s influence on the Open House will be minimal. Rogers’s office, and thus his area of knowledge, does not extend to Canisius’s new marketing campaign. With both

“Go Exploring” and “Discover” phased out, and a successful crop of new students embarking on their first semester, the Office of Institutional Advancement has had time to breath before releasing a new advertisement campaign.

While this is expected to come into public viewing within the next two weeks, it is unlikely that the incremental, behind-the-scenes creation has had any real impact on the formation of this year’s first Open House.

When asked about how, if at all, the marketing campaign has affected emails, texts and mailings sent to prospective students, Rogers said, “There’s certainly elements of what the college is changing…that I think are getting put into this.” However when asked to specify what these changes were, Rogers said, “Some of the word choice has changed and the messaging that they’re trying to deliver is different than the format it was in before.”

Rogers said it was too difficult to say whether these changes were effective because the new campaign in in its “infancy.”

However, for anyone looking for signs of efficacy, Rogers did point out that the 140 students already signedup for the Open House is up 10 from last year, and he also said that the college expects more registrations today as

well as several walk-ins on Saturday.

Rogers also said that the college has been “more targeted” in its outreach than in past years. Again, when asked to specify on this point, Rogers said Canisius is reaching outside the Western New York area to places such as, Boston, Chicago and Cleveland. Rogers also credited Kathleen Davis, VP of Enrollment Management, for being proactive in addressing advertising.

Rogers said he didn’t know about the school’s plans to downsize the student population, but that these plans were not impacting attempts to draw in students from an outreach standpoint. “[We’re] always trying to attract new students in any way we can and [we’re] certainly not limiting that effort by a certain cap we want to hit.”

This is Rogers first time experiencing a Canisius College Open House, so he is prepared to make tweaks if necessary for the next Open House on November 15th.

With a smaller student population, it is important to track changes in how that smaller pool of incoming freshmen are being both attracted and selected, and efforts like the Open House are certainly a part of that. smith322@canisius.edu

USA subsidizes first 50 sweaters Sweaters: continued from 2

already love it, given the responses we’ve had from people we’ve shown it to so far,” Spencer stated. “We can reach out to alumni after students start to receive theirs, but after this order, we could do more orders of this one type or expand into the class sweaters.”

As of right now, the only way to order the sweaters is through Hillflint, as these won’t be available in the campus bookstore or other online stores. “We talked to the general manager about it. They used to bring in third party sellers, but they don’t anymore. It could be explored in the future.”

If that initial order doesn’t reach the 50-person mark, then that order would be cancelled and “the people will get their money back if the order falls flat,” Spencer stated.

“But neither of us think that will be an issue, given the initial feedback we got.”

Spencer and McGuire feel that Canisius has been lacking school spirit for quite a while and some students aren’t aware of the history this school has.

“It’s a generational school,” McGuire stated. “Lots of people here have parents or grandparents that went here. This is kind of like singing the alma mater. It unites us in a way that’s big-

If the best time to wear a striped sweater is all the time, then when will you have time to wear your canisius sweater

ger than ourselves. If we can remind students that we’re part of something that has longevity and history, it gives us pride as a student body. The clothes at the bookstore right now are more geared towards having the athletic look, where the sweaters are more formal and for regular people.”

“I think Canisius is in a trend right now that’s going towards more modern, like the new library design and the online courses,” McGuire continued. “That’s not a bad thing, but I think we should still be rooted in our history, it’s a visual reminder of where we come from.” creenanr@canisius.edu

Hillflint

Where will the pope be next?

•Friday, Sept. 25 New York City •Saturday, Sept. 26Philadelphia •Sunday, Sept. 27 Philadelphia

Pope: continued from front

ily honored Father Serra, the pope used his homily to deliver a challenge to his massive audience.

“We don’t want apathy to guide our lives. . .or do we?” he asked. “We don’t want the force of habit to rule our life. . .or do we?

So we ought to ask ourselves: What can we do to keep our heart from growing numb, becoming anesthetized? How do we make the joy of the Gospel increase and take deeper root in our lives?­­” The pontiff challenged Catholics to “go out to people of every nation!

“Go out to those who are burdened by pain and failure, who feel that their lives are empty, and proclaim. . .of a loving Father.”

In delivering his homily, Francis was considering a mostly Catholic audience, but throughout his stay in Washington, D.C., he took opportunities to speak to all people of the United States, regardless of their religious affiliation.

Prior to arriving at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Francis met with President Obama, who is Protestant, at the White House for a welcoming ceremony and immediately addressed one of the core issues of the current political climate in America: immigration.

“As the son of an immigrant family,” Francis said, “I am happy to be a guest in this country which was largely built by such families.”

The pontiff ’s words set the tone for Thursday morning when the he addressed a Joint Session of Congress. He made reference to the thousands of immigrants coming north into the United States from Mexico who are “in search of a better life for themselves and their loved ones, in search of greater opportunities. Is this not what we want for our own children?”

We must not commit the same sins and errors of the past, Francis added in reference to the way immigrants’ rights have been infringed upon in generations before. We must not turn our back on our neighbors, he said, before citing the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Matthew 7:12).

Immigration wasn’t the only contentious is-

sue that Francis touched on while in Washington.

When Francis met with Obama, he also brought up the issue of climate change and caring for the environment while praising the president for the initiatives that he has introduced.

“When it comes to the care of our ‘common home’,” Francis said, “we are living at a critical moment of history” in which we can no longer leave the problem of climate change to future generations.

Quoting his own encyclical, again in front of Congress, the pope reinforced the idea that “we need a conversation which included everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all.”

Inclusion has been a major theme of Francis’ papacy. From his outreach to the LGBT community to the main tenet of this trip to the United States— “Love is our mission”—the pope has focused his twoand-a-half years on making the Catholic Church a place that is open to all that seek to be a part of it.

And this mission of love is near and dear to the hearts of the 18-24 year-old demographic, putting Catholic colleges and universities—such as Canisius—at the forefront of the discussion, according to Barbara Humphrey McCrabb, Assistant Director for Higher Education, Secretariat of Catholic Education.

“There are several reasons Francis is more appealing to the collegeage demographic than his predecessors,” McCrabb said. “One is his use of technology. He [often presents] Catholic teaching via Twitter. He is willing to use all means at his disposal, especially those commonplace to young adults.”

As the pope bridges the gap between the church and the new generations of Catholics, so too must Catholic institutions of higher learning link timeless doctrines with modern rhetoric.

“How can universities instill [Catholic teaching in their students today]?

By continuing to teach the guidance of the church and acknowledging the continued revelation of God in our contemporary context,” McCrabb said.

“There are modern day issues that are complicated

and nuanced and require a level of sophistication and understanding.” * * * Six hours before Pope Francis arrived at the Basilica for Mass, one hour before he was driven down Constitution Ave., timeserving street vendors positioned themselves around the National Mall to take advantage of the papal mania. They sold gaudy t-shirts, overpriced buttons, shoddy necklaces, and pictures of a cardboard cutout of Francis. But among the opportunistic merchandisers stood a street performer, riffing on his guitar a familiar tune. He sang: Lean on me, when you’re not strong And I’ll be your friend I’ll help you carry on The bard’s voice overtook the shouting of the merchants. It drove their peddling outcries out of the National Mall, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.

Francis is not a pope of merchandise. He is a pope who wants to turn the people of his church into pillars of a universal truth, into pillars of support for the poor and the marginalized, the weak and the lonely. This idea is not new to Catholicism, but Francis is making it a central message. And this message is at the heart of all other statements he so far has made to Americans, Catholic or otherwise. While present-day issues are complicated and do require sophistication, as McCrabb suggests, his imperative to members of the Catholic church is simple. It is to say to the underprivileged: You just call on me brother, when you need a hand We all need somebody to lean on If there is a load you have to bear That you can’t carry I’m right up the road I’ll share your load.

Pope Francis continues his visit to the United States in New York on Friday and in Philadelphia on Saturday before departing on Sunday, 27 Sept. @TGNGates gates3@canisius.edu @TGNFerrara ferrarak@canisius.edu

25 September 2015

ifestyle 74 LFEATURES

Newsflash: Shea's new season begins with Newsies

By Janelle Harb

Features Layout Editor

In Buffalo, we are blessed to have Broadway brought right to our front door. Our city is home to Shea’s Performing Arts Center which has been attracting national tours of shows since its remodel and expansion in the late 1970s. The previous 2014-2015 season set a record of 13,741 tickets sold, and will only continue to grow. The 2015-2016 season is no less than spectacular, as usual, with fantastic shows fresh off the Great White Way. The season kicks off with the much anticipated Newsies running from September 29th October 4th. This musical was inspired by the historical Newsboys Strike of 1899 in New York City. It was during this event in which Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, the famous publishers of two massive newspapers, raised the distribution price to one-tenth of a cent per paper. Outraged by this increase, the young boys and men who have to sell these papers, the “newsies,” organize a strike to give strength to the oppressed orphans and runaways who have become newsies. This musical features many classic songs such as “Santa Fe,” “Seize the Day,” and “King of New York.”

This is the perfect show for fans of the Disney produced movie, or those interested in an inspiring and uplifting story of young people making a difference.

The new show is Matilda, coming right off of successful seasons on both Broadway and in the West End, and will be playing from November 3rd - November 8th. This show is based on the beloved children’s book of the same name by Roald Dahl. It is about a little girl who develops telekinetic powers, and a love for reading, who uses her power and wits to overcome an abusive family and corrupt school system. Along the way she befriends fellow schoolmates, as well as the gentle and nurturing school teacher, Miss Honey. The musical features boisterous songs such as

“Naughty” and “Revolting Children.” This is a show for those of us who grew up reading Roald Dahl’s books, as well as seeing the Matilda film.

The next show is the iconic Annie, which is running from December 8th - December 13th. Everyone knows the treasured story of little orphan Annie with its many film adaptations and long running stage productions.

The story centers around a girls orphanage who must work hard to pay their keep. Annie eventually escapes, but is caught and returned back. Along the way, Annie meets Grace Farrell, assistant to the billionaire Oliver Warbucks, who offers her a stay in his mansion and changes her life forever. The musical features other classic songs such as “Maybe,” “It’s the Hard Knock Life,” and “Tomorrow.”

This beloved show is a staple in the Broadway community, and is encouraged for everyone of all ages and backgrounds due to its touching story.

To kick off 2016, the first show is the mysterious, but highly energetic, Pippin, running from January 26th - January 31st. The show centers around an enigmatic performance troupe that tells the story of a young prince, Pippin, who longs to have adventure in his life.

Through a series of tumultuous events, Pippin must eventually decide whether he wants to continue pursuing a peaceful life, or continue performing with this peculiar troupe. This dazzling show includes popular songs such as “Magic to Do,” “I Guess I’ll Miss the Man,” and “Morning Glow,” which was once covered

by Michael Jackson. Although the show may seem incredibly lively and upbeat, there are some very dark undertones that are sure to make for a unique theatre experience.

The next show is Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, running from March 15th - March 20th. The plot tells the story of the earlier life and career of Carole King, an American singer and songwriter who is well-known for writing many chart-topping hits of the 1960s and 1970s. IT centers on her struggles in the

music industry, as well as relationship with her husband, Gerry Goffin. This jukebox musical includes many recognizable hits from King’s songbook, including “The Locomotion,” “Some Kind of Wonderful,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” and “Beautiful.” The show is still taking over both West End and Broadway stages, and is a must-see for those with a love of American music history, and some of the greatest composers and lyricists of our time.

The final show of the season is the iconic Dirty Dancing, which will be appearing from May 3rd to May 8th. The musical follows the same plot as the hit 1987 movie, which involves Frances “Baby” Houseman who finds the staff quarters at a holiday resort and unearths an exciting and intense world of music and dance. She crosses paths with the resort’s dance instructor, Johnny Castle, and, as a result, their lives are changed forever, but with dangerous consequences. It features many of the same songs as the hit movie, including “Hungry Eyes,” “Do You Love Me?,” and “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life,” amongst others to recreate the iconic 1960s soundtrack. The show has been a massive commercial success and is a story that will still be loved by generations to come.

In addition, the special engagement shows that are not included in the regular season are Mannheim Steamroller Christmas on December 19th, the Blue Man Group running from February 12th - 14th, and The Wizard of Oz from April 5th - 10th.

Overall, this 2015-2016 is bound to be even more successful than last year’s recordbreaking numbers. The best of Broadway is a short Metro ride away for us Canisius students, and ticket prices for most shows start around $50, there is also a lottery before each show for half price tickets. The shows are bound to surprise you, make you smile, laugh, perhaps cry, but most of all, they’ll make you want to get up onstage and sing along with the cast. harb12@my.canisius.edu

The iconic Shea's sign outside the venue. Photo by Chuck Alaimo.

A California Catfish Catch

Cantina Loca offers Buffalo’s premier fish tacos our food, I noticed the two sauce bottles; one basket with all the toppings generously overwas unbranded and the other was the popu- flowing out of the taco shells. My mouth was Food Beat Reporter lar Tapatio hot sauce. Tapatio hot sauce reigns watering simply looking at the large portion from California and was made by its founders of crispy deep fried catfish with: house made Any time someone asks me for a res- from Guadelajara, a perfect accompaniment cabbage slaw made daily, in house pickled ontaurant recommendation, I usually have for the California Fish Taco. When the food ar- ions, and amply drizzled with a secret creamy a roster rolling through my head. But if rived, I eagerly grabbed my taco from its small and spicy sauce drizzled on top. The second I I was to recommend one right now, it would have to be Cantina Loco, Authentic Mexican food with a California flare.

I remember the first time I stumbled into Cantina Loco on a cold and snowy winter’s night after a long night class with a friend.

Hungry and cold, but not in the mood for any of the typical Elmwood Taco fare, we decided to take the trip to see what Allentown had to offer. When we saw the dark exterior of Cantina Loco, we didn’t think much of it besides the blaring neon sign above the entrance. Too tired to walk further, we hustled through the door and were greeted with a warm ambiance with loud music and even louder guests.

In-between an upscale bar and a family restaurant, the clientele was filled with young adults by the bar and crowded at the tables.

The interior was laced with intricate Mexican paintings and rustic Edison bulbs dangling from the ceiling. Once seated, I could see that the menu was far from overwhelming. With only a handful of options for tacos, or enchiladas and the like, I haphazardly chose the fish Succulent fish tacos filled Melanie Nguyen's belly, and they can fill yours, too, for just $6.

Photo by Melanie Nguyen/Food Beat Reporter taco and I never looked back. While waiting for

By Melanie Nguyen

had my first bite, the spectrum of flavors burst in my mouth; from the crunch of the texture of the breaded crust, to the moist, dense, and slightly flaky fish meat. All of these textures were combined with the flavors of the spicy sauce, with its light kick, and the sourness of the pickles and slaw, I quickly devoured the whole thing. It was heavy enough to satiate me, but light enough to keep me from having a food coma. The perfect texture, it was light and refreshing yet filling and meaty enough to satisfy even the largest appetites. Paired with a cold classic lime margarita, the California Catfish Taco was not just a meal, but an experience in itself. Although the fish taco was not a typical winter dish meant to warm you up, it can easily be a summer time staple instead.

Even with the freezing cold snow outside, the California Catfish Taco brought the taste and refreshment of California to my plate.

Now that we’re nearing the end of summer and heading into colder weather, now would be the best time to grab a drink and have some light and refreshing fish tacos on Cantina Loco’s beautiful patio. An experience unparalleled with any of the tacos I had ever had in Buffalo, I never hesitate to reminisce and encourage my friends to try the California Catfish tacos of Cantina Loco, especially at this time of year. nguyen27@canisius.edu

Lifestyle58 FEATURES

25 September 2015

Panic! at the Main Street Armory Panic! at the Disco rocks Rochester

By Janelle Harb

Features Layout Editor

As a member of the generation that survived endless hair crimping, AIM, straightened fringe bangs, black eyeliner (just under the eye, of course), and bad highlighter-pink extensions, the 2000s can now be looked upon as the prime decade for pop-punk and alternative music (despite the questionable fashion).

One of the bands that us former scene kids will never forget is Panic! at the Disco. I had the opportunity to relive my middle school days and see Panic! this past weekend at the Main Street Armory in Rochester, New York.

Hosted by the local radio station 94.1 The Zone, the concert featured the X Ambassadors as the opening act to Panic!. The X Ambassadors are not a new group to the music scene. The quartet is from Ithaca, NY and was originally simply called the Ambassadors.

However, after landing a record deal with a large company, they were rebranded with a new name. The band raced excitedly on stage

and instantly sparked a new energy into the crowd with the fast-paced anthem, “Loveless.”

They played a slew of older songs from various EPs that fell in line with the upbeat atmosphere, along with a saxophone solo here and there. A stand out song for me was titled “Gorgeous,” which showed off the lead singer’s impressively high vocal range. One of their closing songs was their hit single “Renegades” that can be heard practically on loop on every indie station. They invited the audience to sing along to create a truly powerful moment for all us “renegades” in the room. The X Ambassadors showed much gratitude for the crowd in welcoming them “home” in Upstate New York, and they thanked Panic! for allowing them to tour with them in years past. They were a highly energetic band that obviously care very much for the art of music and their craft, if you haven’t already heard of them, I would highly recommend their new album, VHS, filled to the brim with the perfect artsy lyrics to caption your Instagram photos with.

The anticipation in the room for Panic! was palpable during the 30 minute break between

Brandon Urie, lead singer of Panic! at the Disco, stays calm, jives to the music.

Photo by Janelle Harb/Lifestyle Layout Editor

sets. Every shadow that emerged from backstage was met with a sharp inhale, immediately followed by a disappointed exhale, as the crew set the stage. Finally, after what felt like hours of waiting, the house lights dimmed.

Kenny Harris, the guitarist, and Dallon Weekes, the bassist, walked onto stage and to their respective sides, while Brendon Urie, the lead singer and only remaining original member, bounded on stage in a colorful burst of light to his golden microphone and table centerstage with various pedals and voice-changers.

Their opening song was an underground fan-favorite, “Vegas Lights.” The intensity and energy of the song was matched with the colorful, laser-like lighting, and running around the stage from all the band members. After the song, they were met with a roaring applause, and possibly some tears, from the entire crowd, including the parents in the seating above the main floor. They immediately dove into their next song dating back to their first album, now almost 10-years-old, “Time to Dance,” which was met with a deafening cry from the audience, of which I’m still reeling from. Once everyone had settled, Urie had smirked and commented on how loud the crowd was before leaping into two more of their older songs, “The Ballad of Mona Lisa” and “The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage” (*takes breath*).

After taking off his gold suit-coat, Urie commenced the newest song, “Hallelujah” off their upcoming album, of which a release—date has yet to be announced. The song is an ode to the fans, affectionately known as “sinners,” to encourage them to move on from the past, and look into a brighter future, and was truly a religious experience to sing alongside with the band and the rest of my fellow “sinners.”

Following this song was a drum solo played by Urie himself, much to the relief of the drummer. They followed their new single with a slew of songs from their third and fourth albums, with unique radio transmission introductions before each of them to offer the band a short break. A definite highlight of the show was prior to one of their lead singles, “Miss Jackson,” as Urie recounted the story of the exgirlfriend that it was based on, which included the misadventures of her cheating on Urie, meanwhile Urie finding out and then cheating

Serial extremist protester not fond of Francis

By Kyle Ferrara Features Editor

Most people in Washington D.C. were beyond thrilled for their country to host Pope Francis this week. Most people in Washington D.C. are not Christine Weick.

Weick is the author of Explain This!, a book which claims to interpret all of the clues hidden inside the Book of Revelation. She traveled to the nation’s capital from her home in Jenison, Michigan, to ask the crowd, “Could the pope be the antichrist?”

Weick believes her claim could be true because of what is prophesied in the Book of Revelation. According to the last book of the New Testament, the antichrist will be a man who claims to the Son of God, who unites all nations. She argues that the pope fits this description.

She also calls the pope an arrogant, petulant child for not embracing the lavish lifestyle that some of his predecessors have, and cites that because he is changing church doctrine, he must be the antichrist. She says that the pontiff should not be a public figure, but that Francis embraces the public.

When informed that Pope Francis does not claim to be the Son of God, that he is try-

ing to show solidarity with the poor, that he is not changing Catholic doctrine, and that both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI also were public figures, she evaded further argument.

“I just think we all need to keep an eye on this guy,” she said.

Weick is not a newcomer to the extremistprotest scene. She has previously made appearances protesting gay marriage, Islam, and reproductive rights. One of her more famous signs read, “Thank your mom today for not being gay.”

That sign, which she carried with her in Grandville, Michigan on Mother’s Day 2014, inspired a supporter of gay marriage to throw a red slushie on her.

In November 2014, Weick crashed a prayer service at the National Cathedral in Washington. The prayer service was held to show that members of Christianity and Islam could coincide peacefully.

Weick has also been known for living out of her car. She will be following the pope this week to New York City and Philadelphia.

@TGNFerrara ferrarak@canisius.edu

Weick did not back up her argument, but she hopes her neon yellow sign will get people thinking. While she does not identify with any Christian denomination, she says that she has a "personal relationship with Jesus Christ."

on her as payback. Before the chorus of the song began for the second time, Urie jumped onto the drums platform and raised his arms while the music came to a dramatic pause. After ten seconds of applause, he backflipped off the platform and continued to sing the chorus to the adoring crowd that was cheering even louder than before.

Another highlight of the concert for both Panic! and Queen fans alike, the band covered the iconic “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Urie’s powerful and unique vocals gave a new twist to the song that would impress any die-hard Queen fan. The band sang a few more songs, and closed with my personal favorite song, the anthem “Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met…).” The stage then fell to black and only Urie’s voice could be heard as he joked, “we usually pretend to walk off stage and be done, but you all know we’re just gonna come back, so we’ve got a few more songs for you.”

Their first finale was the song “This is Gospel,” written by Urie for a previous band member who had to leave the band due to his suffering from addiction and need for treatment. Every person in the room of 6,500 could sense the emotion from Urie’s performance for his best friend. After this song, Urie thanked the crowd profusely for coming out to the show, and introduced their biggest song to date by saying “thank you again, I love you, and this song’s called ‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies’.”

The somber mode was quickly replaced with the energetic attitude once the first few iconic notes of this song was heard. The band then bowed and left the stage to play their next show in Georgia a few hours later. By the end of the night, the entire audience was exhausted and drenched with sweat, but all had the most enormous smile on their face.

After ten years, the band has gone beyond a new level of showmanship mixed with live vocal and instrumental talent; if you haven't listened to them since your phase in middle school, I recommend you drop your iPhone 6S immediately and run to your old MP3 player. The eyeliner-clad scene kid deep down in my heart can now rest easy, as Panic! at the Disco was not only an extraordinary concert to attend, but an incredible experience of its own. harb12@my.canisius.edu

Would you like to see your creative writing or poetry in print?

Submit your work to ferrarak@ my.canisius. edu or harb12@ my.canisius. edu

25 September 2015

View from the Griffin’s Nest The cutout comes to Congress

Opinion 65 Opinion

In the spring of 2013, a freshman named Katie Farinacci signed up for one of those “Pope Watch” subscription services that promised to text her when the new pontiff was elected by the Cardinals in conclave.

Half an hour, she received a text: “WHITE SMOKE!” Within five minutes, the whole of social media blew up as it was announced that Jorge Mario Bergoglio would become Pope Francis, the first Jesuit leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Rising from the resignation of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, His Holiness has changed the conception of what it means to be Catholic. Not only has his humility made him distinct through the rejection of the traditional papal car to staying in the St. Martha Guesthouse, but he has also a number of social justice issues, including the death penalty, homelessness, conservation,

and immigration. The last two of these have become central on the Jesuit and Catholic world stages with environmentalism being a large focus within Laudatio Si’, the most recent papal encyclical, and immigration having been the central theme of the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice held each year in Washington, D.C., to which Campus Ministry sends a delegation of students. This paper was thrilled to see the ways in which Canisius’ Jesuit mission has been both affirmed and called to be more by Pope Francis. Plus, after seeing that cutout all over campus (ALL OVER CAMPUS), it was nice to have a threedimensional version.

While this paper is all for the first amendment (in case you were unclear on that point) and despite the separation of Church and State, it still supports Papa Francesco’s visit to Congress this afternoon and his Catholic-based appeals for justice. While obvi-

ously grounded in his faith, the pontiff was very politically articulate in outlining his desires for Congress and this country. Much of what he said will be reinforced

by Canisius students as they travel to Washington in November and as they lobby local legislators here in Buffalo as well. Overall, we at our fair Jesuit institution obviously see ourselves in solidarity of his summarizing message: justice. He says, “We must move forward together, as one, in a renewed spirit of fraternity and solidarity, cooperating generously for the common good.”

In his convocation, President Hurley asked, “What would it look like if Canisius made a stand for justice?” We certainly have in the past. Campus Ministry sends students every year around the world for international service trips. The Undergraduate Student Association’s J.U.S.T.I.C.E. Committee perseveres to promote awareness of social issues

on campus. Yet, what more can we do? What does it mean to answer this challenge? It means, as Dr. Mangione quoted on Twitter (we saw and applauded), “To those who have much...comes the great responsibility to help others.” Canisius has always existed upon the principle of living as men and women for and with others, and so now it has been echoed by Pope Francis, and though you may be neither Catholic nor religious, this paper believes that you can still find good in that statement. You can still find a common decency to be spread around campus and Buffalo, and you can see in those that have walked these halls before us.

Safe travels and good luck to the group of students going to Philadelphia to see His Holiness.

It’s nice to finally see students going to him instead of his cutout appearing randomly to us around campus.

Nick Morelli

vation, received 100 percent of their requested budget although each only received around $950.

On the other hand, Anime Club and Canisius Zoological Society received roughly 25-35 percent of what each requested, yet these resulted in drastically different budgets.

When comparing the individually allocated budgets with the total amount of money distributed, 97 percent of clubs each received less than two percent of the overall budget. The majority (55.07 percent) of the budget was given to the Student Programming Board.

While this article is in no way targeting or trying to call out SPB or their contribution to the College, I’m interested to know what condones this radically biased distribution of money in their favor.

Because SPB is in fact a council of USA and not a club organization, they are funded accordingly and are able to put on many popular events on campus (Griff Flix being my personal favorite). Yet when some of their events welcome the visit of less than 30 participants it seems as though the money spent could have been used more efficiently for a different club event.

Meanwhile, other clubs such as Global Horizons, which put on the “Make Your Own Sushi” event which had many attendants despite them working with a fraction

of $1,400. While this seems like a lot of money for only a couple of events, compared to SPB’s $200,000 budget, the possibilities are mildly restricted to what they can do as a club.

There’s definitely a set procedure as to how club budget is allocated. Jessica Dieter, Vice President for Business & Finance for the Undergraduate Student Association says “We have a set of guidelines” when asked how club money is distributed. After discussing the clubs that received a small percentage of their requested budget, Jessica says “If we (USA) can’t allocate the funding a club requested, we recommend that club appeal for extra funding.”

USA is definitely mindful of clubs asking for more funding when allocating for each semester, especially when a club comes up with a new event they want to host that was not included in the budget. “It all depends on documentation.”

Despite this, there has been a lot of debate about how club budget is distributed both within club boards and in the overall campus community. And of course with each club there’s bound to be different opinions on how club budget should be handled. “I do think there needs to be change on how the budget is reviewed” said Paula Uruburok, President of Unity, the Gay-Straight Alliance on campus.

She discussed how much of what is considered for a club’s budget is dependent on documentation of past expenses. “The clubs here are very active and there needs to be a clear example of what documentation is supposed to be for these clubs.” Obviously, with the growing population of the students here on campus, many want to be included in clubs of shared interest. I feel it’s appropriate to factor in a club’s growing general body when considering their allocation.

Now I’m not saying I’m going to boycott every SPB event (and neither should you!), nor am I begging for Canisius to shell out more money at the expense of student tuition. But re-evaluating how money is distributed between each campus organization seems like it should be considered in the future. Factoring in the service component that each club brings to the campus community seems like a fair way to share the campus funds or possibly considering the general interest of the students on campus. These opinions can be argued and debated until we all become alumni, and probably will be. For now it’s best for each club to do the best with the budget they have for the remaining of the semester and do their best on budgeting for the next one.

Do what you can with what little you have

Opinion Contributor

Clubs have been a big part of the Canisius experience for many students on and off campus. From Welcome Week to Griff Fest, club activities and events are a great opportunity to get involved in the Canisius community. Whether it’s making PB&J sandwiches with Commuter Student Association, winning your 3rd round of Grocery Bingo with RHA, or going head to head in Super Smash Bros with the Fusion Gaming Society - clubs here do their best to make themselves known to the public and organize events that generate interests to the wide spectrum of participants.

Unfortunately for some, a lot of what a club can do is dependent on the budget they are allotted each semester. While there are a number of factors that go into budgeting for a club including number of organized events, past documentation etc, it seems as though with the recent Fall Budget Allocation, several clubs were cut short with what they were given.

There were several ways to look at how money was distributed through each student organization. In regard to how much each club requested for the semester, some clubs, including Habitat for Humanity and Project Conser-

morellin@canisius.edu

Experience necessary: Here’s why Meg Cook

Opinion Contributor

Two months ago, I started a joTwo months ago, I started a job in a local restaurant. They knew I had no previous experience in that environment, so I went to my first shift expecting a full training. It was a Saturday lunch rush during an annual sidewalk sale. Suffice to say, I only saw the end of the line at the beginning and end of my shift. Before this, I had only a brief orientation on scheduling policies and tip pick up. I had nothing to prepare me for this.

“Are you kidding me?” I thought to myself. No previous experience, no knowledge of procedure going in, and I was supposed to do this job?

Absolutely.

After two weeks, I had the routine down. I hustled, asked questions, and smiled a lot. I had more in- depth training learning on the fly, observing the job being done, and listening than I had ever experienced before.

The whole purpose of getting an education is to prepare you for a job--it’s one of the reasons I’m here. Turns out, I was wrong.

I was never one to participate in class my freshman year: no questions about lectures or readings, no insights to share beyond the right answers. My academic experience was lacking depth, and it wasn’t the fault of our superior faculty. Since then, I have had three internships, two jobs, and multiple extracurricular leadership experiences. Mind you, the volume has no impact on the glamour or the intensity

of these off-campus experiences.

Now, I find myself asking more questions and relating the concepts I’m learning in class to these experiences. By making the material relatable, it’s easier to retain information and wrap my head around concepts. So I’ve been doing college wrong.

Internships, jobs, volunteer work, anything that gets you outside the classroom and doing something will enhance your success in the classroom. The pitch for unpaid opportunities and internships is that it’ll look better to prospective employers and it’ll help you find a job.

However, it’s those exact opportunities that will help you find success in your academics.

While I have the utmost respect for the wonderful people in the Griff Center, their timeline for

students is a little off. Start now.

Embrace the city and find where the need is for fresh minds and eager hands. Explore your passions and interests; if you can find all of that in your given field, then great. Go do it. Go explore it and bring it back to the classroom with you. More experience never hurt.

Founded in 1933 The Griffin is the student newspaper of Canisius College.

2001 Main Street Buffalo, NY 14208-1098 Phone: (716) 888-7835 Email: griffin@canisius.edu www.canisiuscnect. net CJ Gates, Editor in Chief ...

Jesse PR Prieto, News Editor Dominic Chamberlain, Sports Editor Kyle Ferrara, Features Editor Darby Ratliff, Opinion Editor ...

Jolene Flammger, Copy Editor Annie Niland, News Layout Editor Joana Moraes, Sports Layout Janelle Harb, Features Layout Jehad Ahmed, Opinion Layout ...

Justin Smith, Assistant News Editor Aaron Rispoli, Assistant Sports Editor Zulema Rodriguez, Assistant Opinion Editor Ut Etim, Assistant Features Editor ...

Dr. Catherine Foster, Advisor Marcie Dineen, Graduate Advisor ...

Facebook.com/thegriffin.canisius Twitter: @CanisiusGriffin

Letters to the Editor The Griffin gladly accepts letters to the editor. Letters should be addressed to ratliffd@canisius.edu.

NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND In case you were having a good day, this is your reminder that the Buffalo Bills are no longer undefeated.

The Underground beeseeches the bees to go away.

It’s still feeling sting-y with its time after last year’s Fall Fest. It is suspicious that the ‘B’ in SPB actually stands for “bees.”

One professor asked if the tents outside of Old Main were for the Pope.

The Underground was very amused.

The Underground is considering starting a GoFundMe for CJ Gates to get a Popemobile that has the pope on it. If he were to get one, he has offered to deliver The Griffin in it.

In case you were confused, there are five Canisius events happening concurrently on Saturday (Campus Ministry’s Pope trip, Honors’ Stratford trip, Open House, Homecoming Weekend, and Fall Fest). The Underground suggests that this campus get a shared calendar.

The Griffin didn’t meet the Pope, but the Pope made quite an impression on Griffin Editor-in-Chief CJ Gates. The Underground suspects it was love at first sight.

cook24@canisius.edu @MegTheException

The Underground requests one of those sweaters. Size tunnel extra long.

Unsigned editorials appearing on this page represent the opinions of The Griffin. All other columns, letters, artwork and advertisements represent the opinions of their authors and are not necessarily representative of The Griffin’s position. The opinions expressed in this newspaper are not necessarily those of Canisius College or its student body. Articles and Letters to the Editor must be typewritten and should not exceed 300 words in length. The deadline for Letter submission is 5 p.m. Tuesday of the week of publication. Letters must pertain to an article recently published in The Griffin. Letters must include the writer’s full name, class year and email address. No pseudonyms are permitted. Letters are published at the discretion of the Editorial Board and are subject to editing and condensation. Send to griffin@canisius.edu.

25 September 2015

Sunday’s loss, just another rite of passage Nathan Ress

Opinion Contributor

Sunday Morning, 20 September, I woke up ready for football. I have never been much of a Bills fan in the past, but this season with all the roster improvements as well as a great increase in city pride, I decided I could do a bit more to support the team. Since that decision I have spent many hours poring over online highlight reels. I have been studying the new roster, watching plays, and learning players. I even tried to get my mind right by watching old school highlights.

With this Sunday’s game against our division rivals, I figured it would be the culmination of all my new knowledge and hype. With that mindset, I sat down in front of the television ready to experience something incredible. I was clad appropriately, wearing not only a bills hat, but also old school t-shirt. We even had a token bills helmet.

I patiently endured the endless pre-game analysis, and held my breath as I watched the opening kick-off. Then, as if out of my dreams, the Bills marched down the field in short order to score on the

Nathan Baumgartner Opinion Contributor

Ah, Europe. According to some, it seems to be quite a progressive continent. Just go to the Netherlands, where significant strides have been made in “right-to-live” campaigns. Oh, how about Sweden, where a new pronoun has been officially made a part of the Swedish language. And then there’s Germany, where a matter of days ago, it was discovered that Volvkswagen’s diesel engines emit over 40 times the amount of pollutants as advertised. In a statement released on 23 September, Volkswagen (VW) CEO Martin Winterkorn has resigned from his post amidst quite a scandal to rock such a relatively problemfree company like VW. This has sent shockwaves throughout the Federal Republic of Germany and beyond.

Even, according to a 29 July 2013 article published by the German English-language newspaper The Local, Wolfsburg, the location of VW’s international headquarters and also the most prosperous city in all of Europe.

Is Volkswagen really the epitome of all automobiles? No. I don’t think so. I believe that auto produc-

first drive of the game. The feeling in the living room was electric, everyone praying to witness the birth of a new era.

What we got instead was a three hour pounding.

I was forced to watch as the evil Patriots crushed my beloved Bills. I could ill suppress my horror as they broke our line play after play, scoring over 20 unanswered points. I was panic stricken. It seemed we had fallen apart. But then I remembered all that I had learned from the internet videos and history on the Bills.

This was simply the way it had to be. The Bills were a team from a city that loved them no matter what.

We had loved them when they were on top, and even after they fell, we continued to love them. We loved them for 15 long years even as subpar performances and utter failures ran rampant in the roster. We had stuck with them until they had finally managed a chance. The Bills were here and looked promising, but even still they hadn’t been able to do it – despite an amazing effort towards the end of the game.

True to form though, I know that Buffalo will not stop loving this team. We have endured countless

heartbreaks, and setbacks. We are the ultimate underdogs, who despite everything still love our team with everything we have. This was evident in the crowd this Sunday, as even after going down by a seemingly insurmountable deficit, there was still noise, excitement, and enthusiasm from the stands.

The Bills rewarded this faithful determined support by showing us some spark towards the end of the game. They made things interesting, coming back to within five. This of course led to nothing, our final drive ending in an interception, but at least it was a show.

Though I shed no small number of tears after this game, and I searched for meaning in the faces of those who watched the game with me, I was able to take consolation in one fact. This game was thoroughly Bills football.

We had hyped our team, and boosted our city, heading into Sunday with hearts made of fire. We had done everything we could to bolster our Buffalo boys, but when the time came, we watched our momentum crash and burn. We were forced to witness yet another disappointment from a team famous for near misses

Volkswagen in a crisis?

ers need to take the time to communicate clearly and effectively the externalities associated with using their products to the best of their ability. For some products, like cosmetics, the effects associated with their usage can be quite indeterminable. But if a producer explicitly lies about the effects associated with using that product, the externalities associated with that fallout will be inconceivably bad. I would be lying if I said that there is no incentive to lie: there is. Mr. Winterkorn has made that quite clear: according to Bloomberg Business, his salary rose 87 percent in 2012 from the previous year, making him the highest paid CEO in all of Germany and the second highest in all of the European Union.

The economic incentives associated with degrading the environment are evident. According to the Guardian and a plethora of other sources, the forefront of the issue comes with nitrogen oxide emissions. The difference between the two may seem subtle at first, but it’s a very strong and important difference to establish. The Environmental Protection Agency states that “Current scientific evidence links short-term NO2 exposures, ranging from 30 minutes to 24 hours, with adverse respiratory

effects including airway inflammation in healthy people and increased respiratory symptoms in people with asthma.” As a result, nitrogen oxide is classified as an air pollutant due to its negative impact upon the environment. Carbon dioxide, on the other hand, is not classified as an air pollutant, but rather as just a greenhouse gas because its negative impacts on the environment come through prolonged fluctuations in the temperature of the Earth’s surface.

Volkswagen is in a crisis. But does that mean that Wolfsburg is in a crisis? So far, it seems like it.

According to the BBC, “more than half of the town’s 120,000 inhabitants work at the local VW plant, a sprawling complex that covers some 6.5 sq km. Many of the rest provide the services which those employees need, such as shops and restaurants.”

If a factory roughly the size of the Village of Lancaster were to experience as much turmoil as what has erupted some 6354 kilometers away, I have no idea what would happen.

Granted Buffalo has experienced industrial decline in the past – according to some people, we are the eastern terminus of the infamous Rust Belt along the Great Lakes – but it’s

and crushing defeats.

Still, I know we will not lose heart. Dear reader, this is Buffalo.

This is business as usual. We will take this defeat, absorb it, take it in stride, and move forward onto next week. We will still arrive at The Ralph at eight in the morning, already two beers deep, “D-Fence” sign in hand. We will paint our faces, and provided the temperature is above 28 degrees Fahrenheit, our entire torsos. We will lose our voices, a possibly shed blood. We will be there, we will be proud, and we will show our team we have their back.

Why? Because that’s what we do. We are the Bills, and we are determined. We will not stop, no matter the opposition, no matter the odds, no matter the deficit, we will endure.

ressn@canisius.edu @nress3

Have an opinion?

We’re sure you do. If you ever want to write for the paper, contact Darby Ratliff, the Opinion Editor, at ratliffd@canisius.edu never happened so suddenly.

Granted this may be just a German phenomenon in the short term, but in an increasingly networked society between Germany and the United States, anything that happens in one place will affect the other. But hey: at least Wolfsburg’s Bundesliga team will emerge from this unscathed: according to ESPN FC, that team’s sponsorship by VW will not be dropped or otherwise changed. So if anything positive comes out of this, know that the team who got absolutely destroyed

by Bayern-Munich in a matter of minutes on Tuesday will still be intact.

So what is the moral of the story, exactly? You might say that lying is bad. I agree. But I think we need to go further than that. You might then say that lying is never okay. In the context of business-related matters, I agree.

But I think we need to go further: because something can be done does not mean that it should be done.

baumgarn@canisius.edu @NijNijBaum

Are we metaphorical fish?

Branwyn Wilkinson Opinion Contributor

Does a fish know it’s wet?

Maybe. Then again, maybe not.

The fish is immersed in water all the time, so wet is just it’s normal state of being. A fish is so accustomed to being surrounded by water that it would only become aware of the water if the water were to disappear.

But what does a fish have to do with anything? The fish, and it’s questionable awareness of its environment, was a metaphor used in my Mass Communication and Society class. It refers to our own immersion in mass media.

We are the metaphorical fish.

The mass media as the water surrounding us. Dr. Fortunato of the communication studies department assigned my class a project to help us figure out how aware we are of our media use and how it affects our feelings and worldview. It left me thinking about my own media use, and the media use of others all around me, and what it means in our society.

For the project, we first had to keep a log of our media use for seven days, then write a reflection about what we noticed. Then came the hard part: we had to give up the medium we use most for 48 hours.

Like many others, I gave up my phone. Or rather, I gave up using my “phone” for everything except actual phone functions. (Texting and calling.) No Internet, no social media, no music. And though I made a valiant effort, I didn’t actually succeed.

Part of my failure was absolutely necessary, though. My roommate is an international student. Since she doesn’t have an American phone number, we use Facebook messenger to contact each other.

It just so happened that during my 48 hour technology fast, she had a problem with her swipe card, so couldn’t get into our dorm. Turning on messenger notifications was cheating, but I had to so I could let her in.

This necessary failure to give up using my phone to access the Internet was the most telling experience I had during my media fast. In developed countries, at least, connection to mass media, even global media, has become a necessity.

There’s a reason why we’ve surrounded ourselves with media to the point that we hardly notice it anymore. Once we plug into mass media, it becomes vital to our daily communication, both on an interpersonal level, and informational level.

I never had a phone until I

turned 18. I’ve had a smartphone for four months, and already giving it up for just two days was impossible.

It amazes me how quickly I’ve been sucked into the global community of mass media. I’m already completely acclimated to having any kind of information, and every type of distraction literally at my fingertips.

While I was completing the assignment, it was awkward when everyone else took out their phones and I wasn’t able to. I turned to reading instead, because I felt compelled to be doing something. My friends were busy in the little worlds inside their phones, so I wanted to retreat to my own world too. But doesn’t that mindset contradict the idea of a global community?

Smart phones have given us the incredible ability to connect on a global level whenever we want from wherever we are. But sometimes we use this global community to check out of the one right in front of us.

How often have you found yourself opening up social media when you were feeling shy? Have you ever turned to Pandora, or YouTube to avoid dealing with unpleasant emotions?

There isn’t necessarily a problem with this. Though, what if because you always listen to sad songs when you’re feeling sad, you never

57 Opinion

learn how resilient you are? What if by chatting with your friends on Facebook instead of engaging with the person next to you, you never meet your best friend?

Being a member of this global community is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it’s easier than ever to keep in touch with people, find out the latest news, and discover new interests. But any of these activities could distract from being present in the here and now.

As fish in the sea of technology, it is so important to be aware of our environment, or know that we’re wet, if you will. The Internet and smartphones are incredible devices.

Using these devices to tune into the global culture we’ve used them to create is expected and good. But to use our access to mass media as consciously and effectively as possible, it’s important to be aware of the level of our consumption, and the reasons for it.

Interaction with mass media may affect how we feel and our world view, but it doesn’t have to control them.

wilkin14@anisius.edu @w_b97windy

Twitter’s all poped out!

From quotes to jokes, Twitter’s got it all @WashArchdiocese: “You are called to defend tand preserve the dignity of your fellow citizens.” @dianabutlerbass: “Church history is always part encouragement and part woodshed if you really understand it.” @EddieforTexas: “‘A good political leader initiates processes rather than occupies spaces’ Papa Pancho is on point throughout his address.” @sunnydsj: “There are very few things that can drag me out of bed this ‘early.’ @Pontifex is one of them :)” @IGsolidarityNET: “‘I want to be very clear.

We can’t find any social or moral justification, no justification whatsoever for lack of housing.” @WhiteHouse: “As the son of an immigrant, I’m happy to be a guest in this country, which was largely built by such families.” @guardian: “‘We were once foreigners’: pope attacks Trump brand of migrant demonization.” @kingsthings: “I’ll say it: I like this Pope.” @GabbyGiffords: “Inspired by @Pontifex, let all Americans engage in a politics that sees the passage of legislation that may bring us closer to peace. @BrookingsInst: “ @ Pontifex: calls on ‘academic & research institutions’ to help find ways to combat poverty, restore dignity & protect the earth.” @ChrchCurmudgeon: “I kind of figured since Benedict retired, he’d show up on TV doing play-byplay and commentary.” @vanessadenha: “‘If we want security, let us give security; if we want life, let us give life; if we want opportunity, provide opportunity.’” @David_Shorr: “People are trying to Jesusplain to @Pontifex? Seriously?” @St3v3Piper: “Yes we Vatican!”

Tweet your best Pope jokes and quotes at The Griffin (Be respectful)

Opinion 68

25 September 2015

The great divide: Students vs. student-athletes Russell Fiorella

Opinion Contributor

Summer has come and gone and the beginning of a new chapter at Canisius College is well upon us. Freshmen remain humorously aloof, Tim Hortons is back crafting its classic caffeine and culinary dandies, and Joe Van Volkenburg is still enamored with his job. The beat goes on. Yet, these delights are quick to be overshadowed by a smell pungent enough to asphyxiate a kindergartener. Luckily Canisius College’s inhabitants are over eighteen years old. The air is coated with the nauseating, distinct smell of bad blood and it’s coming from the disconnection between students and studentathletes. This mephitic fume is widespread throughout the campus and it is disuniting our community. If you are confused as to what I am speaking of, check into the nearest hospital and ask for a phrenologist. Polarization between students and studentathletes is a reality, and it can’t be dealt with unless it’s talked about.

The social structure at Canisius is based on perceptions, or as we will soon find, misperceptions. The “cool” kids are nestled at the top while less “relevant” individuals rest in the lower sphere. The higher you land on the pyramid the more the “I’m better than you” perception tends to be relevant. Athletes, for whatever reason, are perceived as the kings and queens of Canisius College, whereas their remaining “unskilled” classmates cower below them. Like a cult they talk, walk, eat, and bunk together.

Their cliques are so tightly bound that they stretch beyond campus.

Take a dive down to Chippewa in the wee Saturday morning hours and you won’t know a soul unless you play hockey or baseball.

Heck, have you checked Facebook lately? They are even starting to marry each other. One big happy family.

Strolling into the dining hall is comparable to stepping into a scene from “Mean Girls.” Turn to your immediate left and indubitably you will find a cohort of athletes situated in what many call “the nest.” Like a territorial venue of vultures raising their heads from half devoured prey, they throw passive aggressive glares at any unrecognizable pedestrian.

Judgmental, critical, they tend to gloat with their eyes. Walk the halls, venture into the library, or take a seat in the common area

in Science Hall. Everywhere you turn braggadocios “flying-Vs” of blue and yellow warm-up jackets fetid with pettiness, arrogance, egomania, and narcissism prowl to and fro. As they skulk, they half-scowl. Their heads sway left and right throwing emotionless looks sharp enough to cut steel.

Need I go further? If you fall in the bottom slice of the pyramid, none of this is probably coming as a surprise to you. What’s interesting is if you’re the average athlete reading this, you are likely flummoxed.

Maybe perception is not necessarily reality?

Non-athletes, have you ever spoken to a student-athlete? Let me restate that, have you ever spoken to a classmate who plays a sport for Canisius? Moreover, have you ever placed yourself in a student-athlete’s shoes? Have you ever exerted yourself in the weight room for an hour and a half, sat through a tedious film session, then pushed through grueling drills for two more hours, and return to your dorm with a pile of assignments due the next day? I have and it’s not fun. Afterwards you’re irritable, fatigued to the bone, and hunger is at the forefront of your mind.

Maybe that’s why they sit in the same spot in the cafeteria, because it’s nearest to the food lines.

Am I condoning uncomfortable glares and assertive stands?

Absolutely not. But questions beckon more questions to student-athlete skeptics everywhere.

Why would an agile and physically domineering soccer player walk to the opposite corner and spontaneously strike a conversation with someone when the buddies he’s had since freshmen year are sitting at their usual spot?

Why would this same soccer stud want to strike a conversation with residents who glare at him as if he’s public enemy number one?

There are a few things that need to be established once and for all. One, athletes typically do not interact with non-athletes because, by default, their friend groups have been chosen for them, rather than by them. A basketball player who works on his or her game 20 or more hours a week has no choice but to acclimate themselves with his or her teammates. Second, athletes are just as put off by the awkward gestures of non-athletes. I learned this in a conversation with Adam Weir, a guard on the men’s basketball team. In an animated chat about the gloomy sports culture

on campus, Weir at one point exclaimed, “I don’t get it. Everywhere I go people look at me as if I’m the bad guy. I haven’t said a word and people seem to be judging me.” Here’s another fact: athletes are just as busy, if not busier than the average commuter or residential. Practices, film sessions, meals on wheels, lifts, games, the list goes on. They are probably taking fifteen credits, they are contemplating life after college, and they have a right to have fun too.

Mind you, there are plenty of athletes who have unflattering personalities, but there is a copious amount of comparably stuckup characters among the groups of residents and commuters as well. Why don’t non-athletes cheer on their school? Why do these barriers and stereotypes exist? Why are both camps throwing each other under the bus?

Simple answer: an absence of direct personal engagement and invitation. There is a lack of oneon-one conversation going on between the two groups and we desperately need to establish a point of unification.

Conversations are difficult to come by these days. Why interact with another human being face to face when you can text?

Besides, I have to run. I have a part-time job to get to and I have tons of homework to complete for an online course. Everyone see where I am going here? Yet, what if a throng of hockey players struck up a conversation with Dugan residents inviting them to one of their games the coming weekend. Vice-versa, what if a group of Campus Ministry interns approached Coach Baron and his players about going on a hiking retreat after the season?

What if the softball team started talking to members of the Student Programming Board about coordinating an event before a double-header at the end of May? Perhaps the most romantic of all, what if the lacrosse team sat down in the commuter lounge asking for support at their games?

Imagine what could be achieved if both sides wandered beyond their friend groups and directly, personally engaged each other?

Marketing wizards, mock trial phenoms, and Campus Ministry interns represent Canisius to the best of their ability all year.

Student-athletes strive to excel at their respective sports with blood, sweat, and tears too. That should strike a chord no matter what social strata you fall under.

I’m not pushing for students to construct shrines of Kevin Bleeker in their dorm rooms, but I’m not suggesting he should be abhorred either. This article is a call for both sides to put whatever preconceived notions down, and come together. If we can’t talk to each other, let’s cheer for each other. If we have to ignore each other, then let’s have a barbecue outside the KAC before our basketball teams tip off against Niagara together. If we can’t look at each other without having some contentious notion of superiority or inferiority, then let’s gather every of-age student and hit the Swanny House at five for a brew before a seven o’clock puck drop.

If we can’t create a culture where going to basketball and hockey games are an expectation, an opportunity to exhibit pride for our school, where the only thing that matters is “Go Canisius, go, go!” then I’m afraid the stench of bad blood will linger on. To unite ourselves we have to engage each other around what matters most: Canisius. The “nest” should no longer reference the eight or nine tables on your immediate left in the cafeteria. The Koessler Athletic Center and the HARBORCENTER are the new nests, and everyone is welcome.

Every college and university has the same social norms as we do. Yet, Xavier University has the electrifying Cintas Center, St. Bonaventure has its rambunctious student section at the Reilly Center, and Dayton’s students create quite a clamor in UD Arena.

Hostile vibes between students and student-athletes likely correlates to uninspiring attendance, an un-enticing student section, and lackluster level of pride at hockey and basketball games. I say: no more. A solution, among others, is to establish those arenas as unification points. Going to sporting events, no matter who you are or where you’re from, should be the social event on Friday and Saturday nights.

Attendance counters should be clicking rapidly, the student section should be hopping, and a strong feeling of camaraderie should saturate the venue. Students of Canisius College, I say this: when St. Bonaventure visits the Koessler on November 24th they’ll see five of our classmates take the court with “CANISIUS” embroidered across their hearts.

When Robert Morris travels to the HARBORCENTER on February 26th they’ll see another six of our classmates skate to center

ice with the golden griffin ripping through the air, talons flushed on their shoulders. It is at moments such as these when I hope with all the blue and gold blood I have coursing through my veins, that the opposing teams as well as those donning the Canisius shades hear a din of students, student-athletes, commuters, and the like chanting “I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN!” Because moments like that can bring our community closer. Moments like that, over and over again, will make every lover of Canisius brim with pride. It is in moments like that that have the potential to make us greater. Moments like that can make us unbreakable.

Let me be clear. This article is not meant to ruffle feathers or inherit enemies. I approach this issue with humility, urgency, and the courage to speak up about something everyone knows exists, but is not willing to face. This is about addressing a superfluous divide among two bodies of people. Do I see Canisius’ studentathletes as vultures or narcissistic jerks or anything along those lines? Hell no! But most students do, and that’s an ignorant generalizations based on perception, not reality. I see the studentathletes I have come to know over the course of three years for who they are: classmates, friends, regular people. I respect studentathletes, I respect students, and I think they should respect each other. Have I addressed the entirety of the issue? Most certainly not. Am I maybe not the best person to address this issue? Maybe yes, maybe no. But at this point, who cares!? Coming together, supporting each other, getting to know each other is all that should matter. If you disagree, if you want to point fingers, if you want to argue with me, if you think this is not an issue, if you want to continue to hate, if you’d rather remain disunited, if you are going to continue to ignore this, if you think I should have kept my mouth shut and stayed in line, so be it. But know stubbornness and misperceptions are what got us here in the first place, why our sports culture is subpar, and is holding our campus back from being a true college. So I ask with an impassioned heart: if everyone isn’t united under one banner, then who are we? Are we Canisius, or are we one Canisius? fiorell1@canisius.edu

Griff 101: On its first birthday

Breanna Pawlowski & Mandy Drexel Opinion Contributor

The Griff 101 courses offered this year are virtually brand new, and the Griff 101 idea is only just celebrating its 1st birthday. The idea of the Griff 101 courses is a freshman seminar to essentially help freshmen adapt to college life. It presents freshman with opportunities to learn how to navigate a whole new ballpark. It is a class with many pros, but a few cons as well.

Griff 101 is a good idea because it gives freshmen a conversation starter. If two freshmen don’t know each other, but they

are both in the same Griff 101 course, it allows for common ground to be opened and expanded upon. It can help freshmen find friends in this difficult period of transitioning from a high school student to the young collegial adults we all are. These courses also introduce the new students to college life. They inform them about upcoming events, such as Banned Book Week, and they talk to students about getting involved on campus. The advisors give advice to the freshmen, like on building a relationship with their professors so they’re not scrambling at midterm time to discuss why their grades are what they are.

With all these good things coming out of the Griff 101 courses, how can there be anything bad?

On the flip side, students have found a few reasons to allow for some cynical thinking about these classes. For one thing, the freshman class is devoting a little under an hour each week to these courses, yet we aren’t receiving any credit for them. While these courses are mandatory, they will in no way whatsoever help us reach the credits we need to graduate, either as electives or degree credit. Although there are several impressive learning opportunities throughout the duration of the class, it is somewhat unfor-

tunate that the time we spent in these learning environments will have no effect on our transcripts.

For the second con of these courses, there is a repetition of information. For example, the first workshop that we had to attend as a Griff 101 class was essentially something wholly covered not only in our freshman orientation week, but also in an online course we were all required to take. The remaining workshops seem to be that they will be following a similar pattern of repeating information we have already covered.

There is a problem with the repetition of information. While it is useful to go over things and remind students of them, if stu-

dents have the same information repeated to them too many times, eventually they will stop listening and it will have all been for naught.

While these Griff 101 courses are good for students, they also have some ‘chinks in their armor’ that should be worked out.

pawlowsb@canisius.edu drexela@canisius.edu

Unsigned editorials appearing on this page represent the opinions of The Griffin. All other columns, letters, artwork and advertisements represent the opinions of their authors and are not necessarily representative of The Griffin’s position. The opinions expressed in this newspaper are not necessarily those of Canisius College or its student body. Articles and Letters to the Editor must be typewritten and should not exceed 300 words in length. The deadline for Letter submission is 5 p.m. Tuesday of the week of publication. Letters must pertain to an article recently published in The Griffin. Letters must include the writer’s full name, class year and email address. No pseudonyms are permitted. Letters are published at the discretion of the Editorial Board and are subject to editing and condensation. Send to griffin@canisius.edu.

25 September 2015

Sports 9

The last line of defense MEN’S SOCCER

Andrew Coughlin has already set numerous records at Canisius with many more in his sights.

By Marshall Haim Sports Reporter

Andrew Coughlin has been a member of the Canisius Men’s Soccer team for only two years, but he has been an excellent goaltender for Head Coach Dermot McGrane. Last season, Coughlin set multiple records for the Griffs, including season’s best goals against average, and shutouts.

The 22-year-old senior from Baldwins-

Courtesy of Tom Wolf

ville, New York, was a transfer from Syracuse University after his sophomore year with the Orange. While at Syracuse, he was named to the Big East Conference All-Academic Team for the 2012-2013 season. He only played in three games (one start) while at Syracuse, accruing seven saves and allowing no goals.

In his first season with the Griffs, Coughlin started all of his 18 fixtures, earning a record of 9-6-3. Eight of his nine wins last season were shutouts, which set a Canisius

season record. He doubled the previous amount which was matched eight times, with the last time occurring in the 2013 season by Ryan Arvin. Coughlin was also named the 2014 WNY Goalkeeper of the Year and was the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week on October 13.

“It wasn’t just me, it was the guys around that really helped out,” Coughlin said about his success with the Griffs. “It was great to come in and be a part of something great for Canisius soccer.”

So far in his final collegiate season, he has started all of the Griffs’ seven games, amassing a record of 3-3-1. Coughlin is now two shutouts shy of breaking the career shutouts record at Canisius. He has also faced 41 shots this season, saving 32.

“His work ethic and training is unparalleled,” Coach McGrane said about his starting goaltender. “It rubs off on the people around him, so they’ve had the right behaviors modeled now for the last two years.”

In only two seasons at the college, Coughlin could potentially hold the college records in shutouts, wins, goals against average, and save percentage. It’s quite remarkable for a player to come into a program in his junior year and set the bar as high as he has in the previous two seasons.

“It’s good. You try not to think about it too much,” he said about the records looming. “It’s the wins that we’re most concerned about right now, but every time I achieve one, it’s a great feeling to know you did something great, but like I said, it’s not just me, it’s a team sport, it goes to a lot of guys up front.”

To add onto Coughlin’s honors he has already received, on Tuesday, the men’s soccer team announced their 50th anniversary team,

to commemorate the amount of seasons the team has had so far. Coughlin was named the 1st team goaltender and was the only current member of the men’s soccer team to be named to either 1st or 2nd teams.

“I’m very humbled by it,” Coughlin said about the honor’s he has received. “It’s unreal to be in some of the company that I’m in with the All-Canisius team and being Western New York goaltender of the year. There was a lot of good players last year, and it’s been great that I’ve been able to achieve that.”

The Griffs currently have three backup goaltenders on their roster. Marco Trivellato and John Hollinger, both juniors, along with sophomore Bryce Tramuta, will battle for the starting spot for goalkeeper next year’s squad.

With all the accolades Coughlin has been able to accomplish, the new starting goaltender will be striving for the same success as their mentor.

“We all kind of learn from each other,” Coughlin said about mentoring the other goalkeepers. “It’s not just a one man show out here. Everyone competes in training and when you have a lot of good guys behind you, it really makes you push farther and to be the best.”

Coughlin and the Griffs soccer team will host their first MAAC conference game of the season tomorrow night, when the champion from last season, Monmouth, will challenge the Griffs at the Demske Sports Complex at 7:00 p.m.. Last season, the Griffs lost to the Hawks at Monmouth, 1-0.

@mhaim1934 haimm@my.canisius.edu

women’s soccer

After tough loss, Griffs look to rebound on the road

By Robert Janish

Senior Sports Writer

After a tough non-conference schedule, the Griffs women’s soccer team needed a strong win to open play in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. However, the Jaspers of Manhattan put a snag into the plans of Coach Clark’s squad, shutting out the Griffs 4-0.

Despite starting off conference play with a defeat, it was only one game and there’s still a good chance of the team heading out on the road and topping Monmouth to even up their conference record this Saturday.

This past Saturday at Manhattan, both the Griffs and Jaspers were playing their first conference game of 2015 and each squad hoped to finish this game with a conference win under their belt. After being down by one at the half, Canisius allowed three more goals in the second half en route to losing their 2015 MAAC opener.

Senior Emma Westwater led the team by taking two of the team’s three shots in the contest, while goalkeeper Kailee De Franks made five saves out of nine shot attempts from the Jaspers.

Coach Todd Clark says that part of the reason for the team’s record is the lack of players available due to injuries the team has suffered, and “there’s not much a coach can do about it, but on the flip side, we’re also trying to address the fact that we have good players that are available to us and it’s time for them to step up.” He also

addressed that consistent physical effort is what this team needs to be successful.

Clark says that the team has been mainly working on individual and team defense throughout the week because “one player can make a difference, whether in a tough game and they be the hero, or in a similarly tough game, they could make a mistake and cost everybody.” He said the team has to be able to “accept the responsibilities that come with being a Division I athlete.”

Junior defender Callie Good says Clark has been trying to make practice like an in-game situation. “The intensity’s been brought, and he’s been making it so the forwards are playing against the highest level of defending so they’ll be prepared for Monmouth’s defense on Saturday.”

Senior forward Brittany Krause echoed her fellow teammates’ belief, also addressing that the team has really come together, and said “this is our year, and despite the injuries, we can still come together as a team.” She also addressed how it’s important to not give up and keep moving forward as a team.

Senior goalkeeper Kailee De Franks says that her goalie training has been much more intense this week, and that as an overall team, “we have been trying to go harder and harder and we’re just trying to make sure we minimize our mistakes.”

De Franks looked back on their last game and has been practicing hard this week to not make the same mistakes from last game in future

Coach Joel Furtek passes on rowing experience to the Griffs Rowing: continued from back

sky has caught his attention this morning. The sun is just beginning to rise as the rowers take a momentary break to stretch. “Gotta take care of the bodies,” said the buoyant Furtek. He reached down to pick up his camera that he kept in the boat with us. “Aaron,” he began. “I’m out here every morning and I still can’t get over this sky.” He snapped photos of the group, recharging for the second half of the workout, seagulls flying overhead.

Coach Joel Furtek is a Yale graduate, class of 1990. While at Yale he coxed for four years and earned two varsity letters. In 1993, he was the coxswain at the lightweight selection camp and openteam trials for the U.S. National Team. Furtek has coached at schools like University of Virginia and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I never did get to ask him if he ever formally met Coach Krzyzewski. If I had, he may or may not have told me.

There is no sense of pretentiousness with Coach Furtek. He is simply a coach who had forgotten to eat breakfast, and as he unwrapped his granola bar, he asked my permission if he could eat it. He is a man with great adoration and reverence for this sport and his opportunity to be at Canisius College.

The return back to the boat house has commenced. Daylight has broken and there are 9:00

AM classes to attend. Coach Furtek gives the rowers permission to increase their tempo on the way back; reiterating to stay in control, the real race being this Saturday in Geneva.

“We want to go there and win,” said a ruminative Furtek. “But we know that we’re training for our championships in May.” Between now and May, a litany of changes can happen. The unforeseen and the predictable (e.g. Buffalo winters), rowing is subject to them all. But the focus remains, as Coach Furtek said this morning, to get a little bit better everyday.

The team finished their workout, stepped out of the boats and made their way into the boathouse. Stretching commenced, the ladies joked with one another and all breathed a sigh of relief—or perhaps it was a yawn. Coach Furtek uttered some final statements before the team dispersed. “I saw some very good things out there today. Some things we needed to work on but a lot of positives. We’re moving in the right direction.

We have to build on days like this.” Furtek called for a huddle, the rowers along with the assistant coaches put their hands inside the circle. Before Coach Furtek could bellow out his final chant before dispersion, he asked me to join the circle.

“Everyone gets in on the circle,” he said.

“One, two, three, GRIFFS!” @ArranneGernardo paigeria@canisius.edu

matchups. “Individually, I’ve just been going as hard as I can in practice without taking any time off and just pushing through the pain.”

In order to improve game-to-game, Krause looks back on the previous game and the mistakes that were made, and “I make sure that I never do that again.” She also will be sure to push herself even harder and also puts in as much work off the field as on it “in order to better myself.”

Good follows her fellow teammates’ lead and “the first hour or so after every game, I’ll replay every play that happened in my head, and the biggest from there is just seeing where the breakdowns were and what I can do at my position so that it don’t happen again.”

Last season, the Griffs earned a 3-2 victory over Monmouth at home and hope to continue their recent success against the Hawks on the road this weekend.

“Obviously, beating Monmouth is everybody’s goal because it’s the next game,” Clark said. He believes that the Griffs are no more important than any other opponent that they are going to face this year. He says that if “we can approach each game the same, then we have a chance.”

Clark says that the Griffs players and coaches would like a win because “if you can beat a team with quality, in spite of struggles in the past, then you could be successful against anybody.”

When it comes to this weekend’s important matchup, Good says “it’s huge” to get a victory.

She believes a win would put the Griffs back in

a good spot “and gives us confidence because Monmouth’s a great team.” Especially with returning home after this game, Good believes “it could be a start of change for the season.”

After being one of the only teams in the MAAC last year to earn a victory over Monmouth, Krause said “that really changed the culture last year.” She adds that if they repeat that this year, it would show a lot of people that the Griffs mean business and what their true potential is as a team.

With their next game after Monmouth being at home, she says a win this weekend would “definitely slingshot” the team forward. A win would also bring them a lot of confidence, especially with playing in front of their home crowd after this tough matchup, “it would put us in a fantastic position to continue on into the conference.”

Good believes that “any win’s a win,” and as a team, they’ve enjoyed most of their success at home, so “being able to squeak out a win on the road, and take that confidence and excitement and be able to build off that.”

It will be a very important stretch of games for the Griffs. establishing that confidence early in the season can really help a team down the stretch. Needless to say this game against Monmouth will be a good chance for the Griffs to prove that this team has what it takes to compete. @robertjanish janishr@canisius.edu

Maloy leads the way at Notre Dame Cross Country: continued from front

The win for Maloy comes at the first event that the Griffs were able to really test their conditioning. Last week the Griffs referred to Notre Dame as a “rust buster”, the first chance to really test their stuff against solid competition.

“I am very pleased and very confident with where their conditioning is at right now,” Huckle said. “And once we really start to hit the important workouts in the middle of this season, then the performances are going to jump up considerably.”

Despite not getting the win, the Griffs realize that this was still a good race for them in multiple ways. This race showed that the Griffs are at a great spot in terms of conditioning and that they have a guy who will always be a challenge to beat in Maloy.

Maloy also feels that despite not winning the event, the Griffs are in a good spot at this point in the season. “We had a good, solid performance,” said Maloy, “I couldn’t have asked any more of my teammates. I ran with Cooper for most of the race and he just looked strong throughout the whole thing, and Brennan was up there too, so I was really happy with those guys. And Jeff was up at the front too so I think just a little bit more... tampering and I think we will be ready to go.”

But the race does even more for the Griffs than just showing how strong the team already is.

Going down to South Bend Indiana for the past two years, and showing everyone that the small school in Buffalo, New York can run with the big schools like Notre Dame, is bound to have an impact on the program as a whole.

“Once we start to really perform well at bigger meets like National Catholic and the Paul Short Invitational, or having a regional ranking for the second year in a row; those are the things that start to bring in recruits from outside of the immediate area,” Huckle said. “That’s when people start to reach out to me from out of state and it gives me more pull when I do reach out to the better runners in state and out of state.”

So no, the Griffs didn’t win the event as a team, but they still have many positives to pull out of it. Maloy has proved to be a runner that will run his race and be very hard to beat down the stretch and the Griffs as a whole are in a very good spot after the first real test of the season. The only thing left for them to do is keep building off these strong performances, and go to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Cross Country Championship as the good team they know they are. @Dom_Chambo chambe17@canisius.edu

women’s soccer

A chance to gain confidence at monmouth 9 “This is our year, and despite the injuries, we can still come together as a team.” - Brittany Krause

Volume LXXXVI, Number 3

www.canisiusgriffin.wordpress .com

25 September 2015

rowing

Does God care about your team?

By Aaron Rispoli

Assistant Sports Editor

When Tyrod Taylor took the field last Sunday afternoon for the Bill’s final drive, down 40-32, did you utter a prayer? Did you take out your rosary, dust off your Bibles and pray to your God? I would be willing to bet you said something along the lines of: “Lord, if you let the Bills win today, I will dedicate my entire being to you.” The Bills went on to lose and thus you are still as unholy as ever.

When the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Green Bay Packers in last year’s NFC championship, Russell Wilson was quick to accredit God for the win. Following Green Bay’s win versus Seattle this past Sunday, Aaron Rodgers poked fun at Russell Wilson by making the assertion that “God was a Packer’s fan tonight”. So, which is it? Is God a Seahawks fan or a Packers fan? Tom Brady did win his appeal so, is it possible that he could be a fan of the New England Patriots? Oh what great horror it is to think of our all benevolent father as a Patriots fan.

As an athlete at Canisius College, a Jesuit institution, I would love God’s favor when we compete against schools like Cornell, for example. I do believe the vast majority of my team is Christian by way of one denomination or another.

So, why is it that we lose to a team like Syracuse, for instance? If it is a matter of talent, then how come we are not as physically gifted? God? I would like to know!

According to a 2015 study by the Public Religion Research Institute, 53 percent of Americans believe that God rewards faithful athletes with promising results. And more than one-quarter of Americans and sports fans say God directly determines the outcome of specific games. And so I would like to pose the question: Does God care about Canisius College athletics? Will the wrath of God come in the form of a loss this weekend as some members chose not to attend Mass? Oh, the nerve of some individuals. Surely, those are grounds for termination. I implore you to repent now. The success of our sports teams depend on it.

In reality, God doesn’t care very much about the Bills (I know, blasphemy) or Canisius College athletics. My guess is that He rewards people in ways outside of athletics for reasons not pertaining to athletics. But, if God did like sports, he would most certainly bless the New York Yankees this October—please? @ArranneGernardo paigeria@canisius.edu

Since 1933

Coach Joel Furtek gives instructions to his team through his megaphone

Photo Credit: Aaron Rispoli/Assitant Sports Editor

A Morning with Women’s Rowing

By Aaron Rispoli

Assistant Sports Editor The alarm sounded and I begrudgingly arose from my sheets.

Homework required that I inhabit the library into the wee hours of the night; the time of the night when the crazed polymaths stumble out of their dorms, dark roast coffee in hand.

Surely one cannot properly retire for the night without first indulging in an episode (or two) of the show they are most enamored of. I would realize the next morning that this was a decision of boyish insouciance.

Able to become mobile after some ruminative prayer and incentive laced persuasion (i.e. coffee), I made my way to 1 Rotary Row, designed by the famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, placed right on Lake Erie. This

is where the Canisius College women’s rowing team conducts practice, led by their Coach Joel Furtek.

Engaging in group core work, Coach Furtek enters the room bellowing out a “Good morning!” The weary ladies return a rather apathetic “Good morning” in return which only prompted the effervescent Furtek to once again wish his team a very good morning. They responded with an increased fervor, this time.

“I know that you’re tired. I know that you so desperately wish to be in bed. But we are here to get better. Everyd—wait, who’s missing?” A freshman has overslept. “She’ll learn,” uttered Furtek. He continued: “Everyday we are here to get a little bit better. Let’s motivate each other today. We have a great opportunity. A beautiful day. The water is calm. There’s not any wind.

This is going to be a great morning.”

One by one the rowers got into their boats; the water still, welcoming the athletes. Groups of four or groups of eight with a coxswain. Later in the season, the rowers will be grouped together based on their respective abilities. For now, the team learns the intricacies of each individual, one stroke at a time.

The team has the optimal combination of returners who are showing immense improvement under Furtek and young, talented freshman who may be able to contribute this season.

Coach Furtek was quoted as saying: “The newcomers that will be most successful will be the ones that bring a fierce competitiveness, which is what we consider to be our hallmark.” With 23 returners and a group of eager freshman, the Griffs are hoping to continue

their program’s success.

On a beautiful Thursday morning, watching Coach Joel Furtek give feedback over the megaphone with sedulous care, rowing revealed itself to be a true jewel of a sport. Upon first glance, the act is rather uneventful. The oar moves into and out of the water; a motion that lacks the appeal of, say, a step-back jumper in basketball or a quarterback hurling the ball downfield in football. But, suddenly, as the sun gleams overhead and the water brushes up against the boat, one realizes the ethereal beauty that lies deep within the sport. The union; the remarkable dependency each teammate has on one another.

Coach Furtek is both coach and overjoyed spectator on the water. The See Rowing @9

Not a total loss cross country

By Dominic Chamberlain Sports Editor

The Griffs men’s cross country team came close to defending their win from last year in the National Catholic Championship. How close? Just one point away from repeating as champs.

The Griffs returned to South Bend, Indiana on 18 Sept. to once again race in the home of the Fighting Irish. Going into the event last year, the Griffs may not have been on the radar as a team that was going to compete for a win. But the Griffs not only competed for a win, they did win, beating Notre Dame by two points with a score of 33 for the Griffs, and 35 for the hosting Irish.

This year however, teams had to be aware of the Griffs. Jeff Antolos, Cooper Roach, Chad Maloy and Brennan Root all returned to Notre Dame having finished in the top 10 of the event last year. And while repeating as champs was the goal, the always strong

Fighting Irish team wasn’t going to let history repeat itself. Instead the Irish would go on to top the Griffs this year by an even closer margin than in last year’s race. The final score; the Irish 40, the Griffs 41.

If you don’t know, team events in cross country are scored similarly to golf; the lowest score wins. The top five runners earn points for their team while the points earned by the sixth and seventh place runners are used as tie breakers should two teams tie. Points are awarded based on where you finish in the race.

First place gets one point, second gets two points, third is three and so on and so forth.

To make things even harder on the Griffs, that one point difference could have easily gone in their favor. Antolos finished within the same second as Notre Dame Runner Calvin Kraft, Root finished one second behind Ben Kendell of the Detroit Titans, and Roach also came very close to beating Derek Gielarowski, also of the Titans. That’s how close it was for the Griffs.

Canisius College, Buffalo, N.Y.

“I knew it would be within ten points win or lose,” head coach Nate Huckle said. “I knew it was going to be close. When it’s a one point margin though; I’ve won meets by one point and I’ve lost meets by one point. It’s tough to take.”

While the one point loss may be depressing for the Griffs, there was a silver lining coming out of the event. Graduate student Chad Maloy won the race, beating the rest of the field with a time of 24:49.8.

Maloy became the first runner in the Griffs’ history to win the National Catholic Championship. He did so in convincing fashion, beating Notre Dame’s top runner, Tim Ball, by almost 20 seconds. Winning the race is something of which Maloy is incredibly proud.

“It was a big deal to me (winning the race),” Maloy said. “I was really happy. I’m glad to be the first person in Canisius history to win there and it’s just been an honor.”

See Cross Country @9

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