Issuu

of support!

(see page 2)

(see page 3)

Do you have a love hate relationship with Churchill Tower?

(see page 5)

Library books, consistency and preservation

Members of the philosophy club are preserving some of the discarded library books from Canisius in various empty rooms on campus in order to save some of the books that are being removed and put into bins for anyone to take.

The Griffin has covered this ongoing story regarding the library in its previous editions.

Matthew Braden, a member of the philosophy club, came up with the idea to save these books after learning in August that these collections would be tossed, as Canisius plans to put a new Student Success Center on the second floor of the library.

This has not been without its various challenges, including – but not limited to – the prospects of said unoccupied offices becoming reoccupied. “The school is technically aware that these rooms are unhoused so they decided to put coaches and exercise science professors in [Churchill],” the same place that Braden and other students have been using to house the abandoned books.

wake for the books,” because of the empty shelves and disarray. Braden wanted to save them all, but due to the total number of books that will be removed being roughly 80,000 in total, that was not possible.

Instead, as the weeks went by, the accumulating piles of books had become “a point of misery.” Braden then began to take notice of all the empty rooms inside Churchill Tower, where professors who are no longer at Canisius used to be. That is when he got the idea to use these spaces as “a point of refuge” for the books. He then connected with other club leaders on campus – including a member of the Undergraduate Student Association (USA) and a member of the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) – as a way to organize a small event and coordinate with library staff to begin the process of moving the books.

The interview for this article was held in Churchill 707, one of the offices where books are being kept.

For Braden, upon learning the books were being thrown out, it had seemed like someone was having “a

When describing seeing the state of the books in bins, Braden stated, “It kills me.” He discussed how when envisioning universities as a child, and for anyone who “has a childhood interest in academia, there is a romanticized version of academics.” For Braden, his mother and grandfather were alumni of Canisius who would tell him stories of their time on campus. He discussed how when touring the campus two years ago, he was “stunned,” specifically by the collection on the second floor. He mentioned how he was enthralled by the library’s “original Latin text of Thomas Aquinas.”

Braden acknowledged how being a 21st-century student has meant a large amount of education “has been through screens,” adding “which is fine.” However, he discussed how there is something “so intimate about having a token of every person who’s learned about something before you.”

The vacant offices inside of Churchill have now been converted into spaces for books covering separate sections of philosophy which include: stem and metaphysics; justice, religion and morality; and one for general philosophy. Braden stated that he “wanted it to be a place where philosophy majors, and also people just taking philosophy, could go and be exclusively surrounded by that study.”

Not including the second floor of Churchill Tower, vari-

ous departments – namely the humanities – are placed in Churchill floorby-floor, with departments typically sharing the same floor. Braden plans to continue a similar process on the tenth floor of Churchill for books on modern language and religion, as well as publications regarding political science and history; these will be on the sixth floor which is designated for offices of political science and history professors.

Noting that he has “concepts of a plan,” Braden went on to discuss how he foresees navigating the new placement of professors into rooms that have already been filled with books. He stated that part of this would be “figuring out how many professors are moving here, so [he] knows how many offices are left over, and then corralling the

books into those remaining offices.” He continued, “I don’t know. I just don’t want the books to go away.”

President Stoute had quoted someone he met at RIT, saying, “Libraries are not museums for books. They are a place to foster learning,” as reported by The Griffin. Stoute then suggested that students learn differently “and so we have to adapt.” Braden, however, noted that “museums are where we learn,” adding, “I don’t really understand making a museum into a derogatory term.” Furthermore, he continued, “As an idealist, I’m aware that I’m a little naive,” and that there may be few people on campus who are “going into the second floor of the library and looking at a book just for the sake of it.” However, “the main reason I’ve collected these texts that are behind me is because a big part of education, and specifically philosophy, is that knowledge doesn’t come from the latest post, it comes from understanding where posts came from.”

Treasure McClain, president of the philosophy club, stated, “Our biggest concern for the books is storage.” McClain continued with the statement that they do not believe the books have become outdated, stating that philosophy can be similar to history in the sense that “It builds upon itself.” Furthermore, suggesting that instead of removing the past, “we should be able to examine our past and have the ability to analyze it and critique it.”

Braden acknowledged that readership is down, with many digital publications displaying how long it will take to read a piece, but ultimately – with saving some of the books from the library – he said, “If we are higher education, I think appeasing laziness and not reading is a terrible thing to do.”

Braden then discussed how in a class he is taking with Professor John Kryder, adjunct professor in the English department. Kryder brought in Dr. Steven D. Schwaitzberg, the chair of the department of surgery at the University at Buffalo Medical School to speak to his class. Braden mentioned how Schwaitzberg told the class that “the best way to be an ally is with consistency.” Which, for Braden, relates back to campus. He stated, “We need to be consistent.”

Contact Sydney Umstead umsteads@canisius.edu

The Canisius University Counseling Center is heading the “Griffins Unplug” campaign where, from Nov. 1822, they are encouraging students to try to refrain from using social media for at least a few hours per day.

Dr. Jennifer Desiderio, associate dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and associate professor of English, will be leaving Canisius today to work at the University at Buffalo after 20 years.

The Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students are hosting a Goodie Bag Making and Cookie Decorating event on Nov. 18 at 5:30 p.m. in Old Main 104.

The Muslim Student Association will be holding its annual “Halalsgiving” dinner in Science Hall from 6 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 18.

Canisius University Esports has progressed to the playoffs for FIFA competition, facing Albany in the next week, and hope to make it to semifinals which take place the following week.

The Active Minds chapter will be hosting a journaling event from 5:30 to 7 p.m. outside of the Dining Hall on Nov. 20.

The Raichle Pre-Law Center will be holding a panel discussion and a networking reception at 6 p.m. in Science Hall Commons on Nov. 20.

Little Theatre will be presenting “For the Love of Juliet” on Nov. 21 and 22 at 8 p.m. There will also be two showings on Nov. 23, one at 2 p.m., and another at 8 p.m. Admission is free to the public.

The New York Times reported that Democracy Forward, “a liberal-leaning legal organization that frequently battled the first Trump administration in court,” has now “unveiled a large-scale new effort aimed at thwarting President-elect Donald J. Trump’s second-term agenda from his first day in office.”

Donald Trump has picked Representative Matt Gaetz as his nominee for attorney general, according to The New York Times. Gaetz has to be confirmed by the Senate; however, the nominee “was the focus of a three-year federal sex-trafficking investigation that ended in 2023 when the Justice Department under President Biden declined to bring charges,” wrote The New York Times.

PICTURED: BOOKS IN A BOX IN CHURCHILL TOWER 704

VIA SYDNEY UMSTEAD

PICTURED: CHALK WRITING ON CHURCHILL 708

PICTURED: SOME OF THE SAVED BOOKS ON A SHELF IN CHURCHILL TOWER

By SYDNEY UMSTEAD NEWS EDITOR

PICTURED: SOME OF THE SAVED BOOKS ON A SHELF IN CHURCHILL TOWER

VIA SYDNEY UMSTEAD

Task force announced

By SYDNEY

On Nov. 11, The Office of the President announced the members of the task force that will be making decisions on the prospective $15 million that will be cut from the budget. The task force is set to come to a decision in March of 2025.

The email reads as follows:

I am writing to share an update about the Institutional Sustainability Task Force, which I announced last month. This task force is charged with helping the university address its structural deficit and reposition Canisius for long-term financial sustainability.

The significant challenges facing our university, including changing demographics, increased tuition discounting, and an eroding public perception of the value of higher education are real. To secure Canisius’ future, we must reshape the institution by reducing its annual operating budget by $15 million over the next two fiscal years. The intent is also to reinvest 30% of this amount back into the university through the priorities and initiatives outlined in our strategic plan – Answer the Call.

The Institutional Sustainability Task Force will be integral in that endeavor and has been charged with the following objectives:

Financial Sustainability: Identify opportunities to reduce the university’s annual operating budget by $15 million over the next two fiscal years and make recommendations related to the identified expense reductions by March 2025.

Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with key stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff, and alumni to gather input and ensure the task force’s recommendations align with the university’s strategic vision.

Implementation Plan: Develop an implementation framework to guide the consideration of the task force’s recommendations, including timelines, resource requirements, and key milestones.

The following individuals have been selected to serve on the task force and we are grateful for Anthony B. Habib ’95 and Nancy Wallace, PhD for their leadership as co-chairs of the task force:

Bob Baumet, Vice President, Finance & Administration

Jerry Canda ’86, Member, Board of Trustees

Eileen Crotty Sendor ’78, Member, Board of Trustees

Anthony B. Habib ’95, Member, Board of Trustees (Co-Chair)

Shannon Jemiolo, Assistant Professor, Accounting

Marja’e Johnson ’26, Undergraduate Student

Meg Keller-Cogan, Director, Educational Leadership and Supervision

Lisa Liotta, Deputy Director of Athletics & Senior Woman Administrator

Susan Margulis, Professor, Biology & Animal Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation

Lawrence Potter, Vice President, Academic Affairs

Tom Prince, Director, User Services

Jenna Quinn ’26, Graduate Student

Ian Redpath, Professor & Chair, Accounting

Graham Stowe, Assistant Professor, English & Director, Writing Center

Nancy Wallace, Dean, School of Education & Human Services (Co-Chair)

Please join me in advance to express gratitude to each member of the task force for their contribution of time, talent and effort to this important initiative. As we look forward, I encourage all members of the Canisius community to engage in appropriate ways with the task force as we work to shape the future of our beloved Canisius University. Your input and support will be critical to the success of this important endeavor. More will be shared about the work of the task force in the weeks and months ahead.

Contact Sydney Umstead umsteads@canisius.edu

Letters to those incarcerated

By SYDNEY UMSTEAD NEWS EDITOR

Campus Ministry is currently requesting letters of support for incarcerated individuals. These letters will be used for a prison ministry retreat at Wende Correctional Facility in Alden, New York.

Spencer Liechty, the director of Campus Ministry, stated that the importance of these letters is to “uphold this idea of caring for someone who is maybe experiencing something that we aren’t and we might not know about.” He adds that while it may “be a little intimidating to think about writing a letter or a note to somebody that you don’t know,” the letters can be words of support or about interests, such as the Buffalo Bills.

Liechty went on to say that regardless of what someone may have done, “we still have to treat them as humans and care for them,” continuing to say that “Everyone deserves to be treated humanely, even in a situation that is a locked facility.”

In regard to Canisius as a Jesuit institution and cura personalis, or care for the whole person, Liechty noted how while this care can be applied to “our physical self” and social, spiritual, and mental self, it is also about “really caring for others as well.”

The retreat is not through Canisius; however, Liechty stated that in his own life, he has done work in prison ministry through

the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, which is a “post-grad year of service that anyone can do after they graduate.” Part of the retreat may feature talks about love, forgiveness and spirituality.

While Liechty worked with the volunteer corps, their role was to ensure “the people who were incarcerated were getting proper treatment.” This ranged from things like making sure they had access to medication, and “that there were no abuses going on in the locked facility.” He added that “it was sort of like a watchdog over the locked facility.”

Father Greg Boyle, a Jesuit priest and author who spoke at Canisius in 2022, created the program Homeboy Industries which is “the largest gang-intervention rehabilitation and reentry program in the world,” according to their website. Boyle and Homeboy Industries work to aid in the rehabilitation and support of formerly incarcerated and gang-involved individuals. Interested parties should not include any identifiable information, and use only their first name.

Letters can be submitted via the QR code in Today@ Canisius, and handwritten letters can be dropped off at the Campus Ministry office in Old Main 101. All letters are asked to be submitted by Nov. 21.

Contact Sydney Umstead umsteads@canisius.edu

Last Week in Senate: Coach Christian and campus comunity

By JON DUSZA MANAGING EDITOR

The United Student Association (USA) Senate met last Friday, Nov. 8, for their weekly meeting. During the session, Canisius Men’s Basketball Coach Jim Christian addressed the body.

The meeting was loudly gaveled into session at 2:34 p.m. With no general student concerns being raised, the meeting began in earnest with executive reports from USA’s E-Board. President Tim Sanders was absent from the meeting, so Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations (VPMPR) Aaron Hall reiterated on Sanders’ behalf the letter which Sanders sent to the general student body following the presidential election last week. VPMPR Hall echoed the necessity to remain civil and relaxed following the election.

Executive Vice President Analee DeGlopper also spoke about the election, and the need for campus conversations to remain kind and respectful. DeGlopper also told the senate that four new senators will soon be joining the senate. She added that the revitalization of the USA website, which has been a priority for this current E-Board, is ongoing. Finally, she reported that USA Vice Speaker Ryan Harrington is working with the Humanities Student Union to move the books outside of the library to offices so that people can look more thoroughly through the books before they are disposed of. Vice President of Business and Finance Gabby Kaderli reported that she is working with SELD to start up Finance Board again next semester.

Next up came cabinet reports. Diversity Chair Akil reminded the senate that this month is Native American History Month, and told the group to look out for related events throughout the month. JUSTICE Chair Szuba highlighted in her report the importance of environmental justice.

The liaison report session of the senate happened next. The reports were brief, with some topics being delayed until the next meeting so as not to keep Coach Christian waiting, but Library Services Liaison Riley clarified to the senate that the first books be -

ing thrown out in the library are duplicates. It was suggested that the library publish a list of books as they are thrown out, so that students can have a comprehensive list of the books available for the taking. Liaison Riley explained that such an idea would be difficult to implement. It was resolved that the senate would try to bring in a representative from the library to directly answer questions from students.

After that, Men’s Basketball Coach Jim Christian addressed the senate. Before the game which Canisius played against St. Bonaventure last Saturday, Christian wanted to express the importance of fans and developing home court advantage at Canisius. Saying that to have a long-time rivalry with another school, like Canisius does with St. Bonaventure, is a privilege which students should take advantage of. Christian emphasized the mutual benefits a strong student presence at games could have for the basketball team and the students. “We will be great if we get people to come out and show up,” Christian said, and a good experience will make students want to come back. Christian also said that there is no greater advertisement for a school than a good basketball team.

Afterwards, Coach Christian and Assistant Athletic Director for Revenue Generation and Fan Engagement Mike Kochczynski answered a few questions from senators. One of the questions was about how Canisius basketball was working on connecting more with the Buffalo community. Kochczynski described some of the promotions Canisius is doing within the community, but also expressed that his door is always open to any recommendations. Kochczynski also said that, starting Dec. 1, there will be a Canisius-themed beer available in stores in the Buffalo area.

After that, the senate underwent its normal closing procedure and was gaveled out of session at 3:21 p.m. The senate will meet next on Friday, Nov. 15 at 2:30 p.m.

Contact Jon Dusza duszaj@canisius.edu

Assis! Reste! Ici!

Junior ABEC student trains dog to be a service animal, and they’re doing it on their own... et en français!

By AVA C. GREEN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

To become a service dog, our furry friends must go through rigorous training to learn to socialize with passersby, become acquainted with places they may frequent, be able to adapt to new places that they may not frequent and perform specific tasks to aid their owner. It is recommended they spend roughly a year doing approximately 120 hours of intentional training, but it’s not required that this training is done with a professional, which potentially costs thousands of dollars. This means that people – like junior Bri Firkowski – with skill, knowledge and patience can get their cuddly companions – like Bri’s dog Jasmine – trained to accompany and assist them throughout the day.

When Bri was told this by freshman Anita Molnar, who grew up in a family of dog trainers and has had a service dog since coming to Canisius, it felt like an undeniable sign that it was about time for Jasmine’s training to commence.

As an Animal Behavior and Ecology Conservation (ABEC) and anthrozoology major, Bri has already spent years learning what it takes to care for an animal. This semester, though, dog training has been on her mind since taking ANZ 219 – Animal Assisted Interventions – with Dr. Cyndi Haist. And when she remembered that Anita’s dog, Tessa, was taught her service commands in a foreign language, Bri realized that the French class she’s also enrolled in would come in handy too.

“It’s really, really common to train a service dog in a foreign language – especially if that’s the only language they know. It means nobody can distract them. They can’t go, ‘Oh, come here, come here,’ because the dog won’t know what that means. They’ll only pay attention to you,” Firkowski said.

Bri rescued Jasmine – a “very squat, very barrel-chested” pit bull mix, she says –about two years ago, when Jasmine was four years old, underweight and debilitatingly shy. Bri says that despite Jasmine’s look and the stigma surrounding her breed, you won’t find a more gentle dog. On top of wanting to train their dog to assist them, she believes that training Jasmine can change people’s limited views of what a service dog can be.

“Some people have that mindset, like service dogs can only be labs, only Border collies, only poodles, German shepherds, Saint Bernards. Seeing a pit bull is out of the ordinary and they’ll think you’re faking it because it’s a pit bull, so it’s even more im -

portant that she’s well-behaved and will listen to all of her commands,” she said. Bri knows people can be wary of pit bulls, and even before her training, was putting in effort to make Jasmine look as disarming as she truly is. With a puppy prone to dry skin, Bri has resorted to dressing Jasmine in t-shirts when breakouts hit, stopping the dog from instinctually scratching herself; but Bri says she strategically picks Jasmine’s outfits to include overly-friendly prints and styles.

“It helps make her look more silly,” she continued, “so anybody who’s typically scared of pit bulls will go, ‘Oh, my God! That dog has candy on it!”

As Bri has guided Jasmine through these past few months of focused service training, she’s noticed great improvements in their dog’s physical skills, obedience and understanding of the French language. The majority of their practice is done on weekends and at Canisius’ Andrew L. Bouwhuis Library, where she says the staff and students always welcome them. “They’ll let me bring her in to work on her getting used to new spaces, because that’s her biggest thing,” she said.

Jasmine’s tasks as a service dog will go beyond just being friendly and adaptable, which she already has down. “My main focus with her,” Bri says, “is being able to do DPT, which is deep pressure therapy, where she lays her body weight across my lap or across my entire body when I’m laying down. And it helps reset the sympathetic nervous system and puts my body into rest mode, which allows everything to calm down. It’s like a weighted blanket.”

Bri says training Jasmine for this service has been almost too much fun for her dog, who thinks their practice is a game and eagerly wags her tail the entire time. As adorable as it is, Bri has to keep Jasmine from playing while in service mode so she can stay focused on professors in the case that she needs DPT in class. Right now – along with the typical commands like staying, releasing and waiting – she’s also focused on Jasmine’s ability to open and close doors, and turn lights on and off when Bri is unable. With the amount of time, effort and progress they’ve both made, Bri is optimistic that Jasmine will meet the requirements to officially be an ADA-approved service dog by the end of next semester.

“Anybody can have a service dog. You don’t need to feel like you have a debilitating disability. If you feel like a service dog will be beneficial for you, and you can get it trained or train it yourself, you should do it! A service dog can even just distract you. Like, ‘Hey, hey, stop it. Stop doing that harmful behavior.’ So they stop you when you can’t yourself. And you can get a service dog for basically anything. There are diabetes detection dogs, where you ask, ‘High or low?’ and they’ll put their nose above or below your hand to tell you if it’s too high or too low. So there’s something for everybody.” Bri says, “Yes, getting a puppy is expensive, but if you can do that much, and then put the dedication into training, you can have a service dog too.”

JASMINE POSES IN HER SWEETEST OUTFIT

VIA BRI FIRKOWSKI

How to avoid a campus-wide cold

By HANNAH WILEY ASST. FEATURE EDITOR

The features team sat down this week and went, “what should we write about?” Instead of brainstorming, we had a coughing fit. After collecting ourselves, we decided that although the campus cold had captured us, we could at least prevent you from being sick! As someone who lost count of how many times I got tonsillitis last school year, I’m here to help you through my mistakes and give you a guide to staying healthy as a college student!

Go to the Health Center: The features team is the first to admit we aren’t the best at following this rule. We don’t want you to end up with a several-month-long sinus infection that makes its way all the way to Italy and back *cough cough*

Madelynn Lockwood *cough cough.* The Health Center is there to help and it’s free, so try to take advantage of it before going anywhere else. We just want to look out for you and prevent a potentially massive medical bill.

Medicine and Vitamins: I cannot tell you how many times I’ve called my mom and said, “I don’t feel good,” only for the response to be, “did you take medicine?” The answer nine times out of ten is no. The moment you feel sick, you should take some medicine. It’s important to make sure you keep up with your daily vitamins too. I hate orange flavored things, but sometimes Emergen-C can make that sickness go away in less than a day.

Wearing Warm Clothes: Not to mother you too much, but please, if it’s below 50 degrees, put on a jacket! I’m especially looking at those of you who don’t live in Dugan, Frisch or Bosch, and aren’t able to travel

entirely via the tunnels. It took me until November of my sophomore year to invest in a winter jacket –do not be like me. When you go home for Thanksgiving break, bring back your puffiest jacket, fuzziest socks, your warmest beanie and maybe some shirts you can layer under your sweatshirts. Trust me, you’ll appreciate it during finals week when it’s blizzarding.

Sleep: Any college student that tells you that they get enough sleep is lying to you. You can stay up as late as you want and function on as little sleep as you want when you are healthy; but the moment you are sick, I’m begging you to go to bed early and take naps when you need it. If there is one thing I took from what my mom tells me to do when I’m sick, it’s that “rest is best.”

Be Transparent with your Professors: I would like to publicly apologize to Dr. Snyder for how many emails she got from me last semester because I had, once again, gotten tonsillitis. Trust me, if you are sick, your professors do not want you in class. Not only are you going to get your classmates sick, but you are also going to get the professor sick, and I doubt they want that. Take the time to email them, and maybe throw in a sad face emoji to really get the sympathy flowing.

As sad as it is, we are officially in “sick season” here at Canisius. Maddy and I get each other sick way too often, and I apologize in advance if we’re the ones who got you sick at some point. But I’m begging you to use this if you’re feeling under the weather so you can nip it in the bud before the bug comes back around to team features.

Contact Hannah Wiley wileyh@my.canisius.edu

A cappella takes over Palisano

By MADELYNN LOCKWOOD FEATURE EDITOR

A capella groups are not only exclusive to movies and, in fact, Canisius has one of their own, under the name CrescenDON’Ts – more familiarly, under the name “DONT’S.” This one is not being led by Anna Kendrick, but by senior McKenzie Fuller and many other talented returning members.

Last Saturday, the club hosted a mixer event with four other local acapella groups from assorted local universities. They all gathered in the Palisano basement and initially, its sole purpose was for people with similar interests, making music with their mouths, to gather and make connections. Later though, they all performed songs from their concert lineups from this semester.

DONT’s secretary, Lio Salazar said, “I’m really happy that we were able to pull this mixer off because I love making new friends, but it was also really nice to see even our shyer members branching out and interacting with our guests.”

Their show has a collection of solo and group performances ranging from “Forget You” by CeeLo Green to “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King. This semester, CrescenDON’Ts will be hosting their fall showcase, Evergreen, on Saturday Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Montante Cultural Center.

New and revived clubs on campus

By DOMINIC LUCYSHYN CONTRIBUTOR

American Marketing Association Last week, the Student Engagement and Leadership Development (SELD) office approved the American Marketing Association club (AMA) for Canisius students. AMA is focused on providing a space for marketing, IMC and communications majors, and being a place for creativity and professional development in the marketing field. The club hopes to host a variety of events such as workshops, networking events and potentially site visits.

AMA is a large organization for marketing professionals to come together and network as well as share new ideas. AMA has collegiate competitions in the various fields of marketing, such as sales and market research. Canisius’ chapter was very successful before COVID-19, but the club fizzled out, with no way to recruit new members during the pandemic. The club will have the same name as when it was first formed, despite not being an active chapter; but in the future, there will be opportunities for club members to work together to become one again. Right now, the club would like to set up a space for people interested in the marketing field. They are looking to have their first general body meeting on Nov. 11. Follow @canisiusama on Instagram for more information.

Psych Club

At the end of October, Psych Club was approved by SELD. After she transferred to Canisius, Carson Denny wanted to get involved and saw the club on Canisius’ website. Unfortunately, after checking with the faculty, she was told the club wasn’t active anymore; it was around before COVID, but died off like many other clubs and organizations. Last year, Denny decided to take action and find others – like Sara Swenson, who co-founded the club alongside Denny –who would be interested in fostering a community for psychology students. Psych Club recently held its first

meeting and is hoping to get the word out to various students majoring in psych, or anybody who has an interest in psychology. When asked what the club would like to accomplish, Denny said, “I want there to be something outside of classes for students so they can have a sense of community and bring back some engagement through academic and recreational activities related to psychology.” Follow @canisius.psych.club on Instagram for more updates.

HSU

The Humanities Student Union was created last spring as an effort to bring English, Philosophy, History and Arts students together. After Lyons Hall flooded, Canisius continued to downsize its humanities departments, as the arts programs and pre-law were housed there. One student, Ryan Harrington, came up with the idea to bridge the gap between all the humanities students across different academic departments. Due to the current situation at Canisius, he thought that this was the right time to provide a space for them. HSU’s first general body meeting focused on explaining what the humanities are. For their next upcoming event, HSU is planning on partnering with the Philosophy Club for a book rescue event. This will include sorting through the books in the bins outside of the library. Professors in humanities departments will have the opportunity to keep books they like. When asked about what HSU is hoping to achieve, Harrington said, “At a small school like Canisius it’s important for us students to work together. I hope our club can serve as a safe space for humanities students and non-humanities students alike to interact and explore.” Harrington also said, “We want to demonstrate a continued interest in the humanities at Canisius as our school looks to cut programs.” HSU is open to all majors. Follow @canisius. humanities on Instagram for more information.

Contact Dominic Lucyshyn lucyshyd@my.canisius.edu

THE GRIFFIN EDITORIAL

Cura personalis in practice

A somber atmosphere has inﬁltrated our campus – it’s palpable. Some cite the election as the culpable actor for this mood; others blame the stress of the ﬁnal weeks. Scientists will say that since you didn’t do a controlled experiment, you can’t solely attribute the cause of stress to these factors, as a million other confounding variables could be at play. Whatever the truth actually is, my recent observations are nevertheless disconcerting. I have asked people on campus how their day is and they hesitate. They know the customary answer is, “Good. How about you?” But their face contorting and chest expanding in preparation for a long, deep sigh says otherwise. Their lips curl, not mischievously, but to tacitly convey their genuine feelings dispute the pleasantries. Earlier this month, I was in the elevator in Dugan and the person in there with me had to question if I went to Canisius because I was “so smiley” and “the people here aren’t happy.” That’s a problem. Of course, I don’t believe that the boy in the elevator’s statement is true; our campus is populated by cheerful and bubbly people whose mere presence brightens my day. Yet, it is despairing to learn that even one person harbors that sentiment enough to vocalize it to a stranger.

“Enter the home stretch with a hard work ethic towards your assignments, but also an understanding that you are more than the red ink letter with a circle around it.”

On macroscopic and microscopic levels this semester, there is not a want of reasons to be melancholic. Maybe you feel uneasy because $15 million has to be cut from our institution’s budget, and you are worried your education will suﬀer because of it. Maybe you just read that Representative Matt Gaetz – a man under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for sexual misconduct with a minor – is going to become the top law enforcement oﬃcial in the United States under Trump. Maybe you are agitated just because it is already pitch black outside while you eat your D-Hall chicken tenders. Maybe you have a 10-page paper due on Shakespeare at 10 p.m., and a discussion post on the Genpei War due at 11:59 p.m. Or maybe you still can’t get over the possible subversion of justice with an accused pedophile slated to head the U.S. Department of Justice with a convicted felon as his supervisor. All of those feelings are valid. Though I am not spiritual, I cling to the Jesuit values of our universality in somber moments like these. Cura personalis and being a person for and with others are particularly resonant right now.

I encourage you to combine those two values and do at least one thing yourself and one thing for others each day. Get that sweet treat. Smile at people in elevators so they don’t get the perception that everyone at Canisius is miserable. Indulge in your favorite show. Check in with your friends, family or even the person you’ve sat next to in class since August in your unassigned assigned seat who you’ve never uttered a word to. Go on a “hot girl walk” with your roommates. Help your Editor-in-Chief, whose arm is in a sling, get her coat on. The possibilities are endless.

“Cura personalis and being a person for and with others are particularly resonant right now. I encourage you to combine those two values and do at least one thing yourself and one thing for others each day.”

The Griffin also suggests coping with any adversity you may be facing by participating in the Counseling Center’s “Griffins Unplug” campaign. On top of papers, exams and Matt Gaetz, watching someone’s Instagram highlight reel is only a guaranteed way of exacerbating stress, anxiety and depression. Our phones are perpetual bearers of bad news in our pockets. The Counseling Center – with The Griffin’s endorsement – encourages you to take a few hours out of each day – or take the whole day – without using your phone. Maddy Lockwood, who recently unplugged for Kairos, states “It is hard to separate myself from my responsibilities which inherently are tied to my phone and then I love it. I sit there and think about how horrific it is that we have these tethers that hold us to responsibility at all times and about how I need to detox myself from my phone.”

Going “unplugged,” or taking time for yourself and others is not a cop-out. It is not a way to disregard the problems in your life or society; it is a valiant acknowledgement that you cannot care nor advocate for others at small or large-scale levels without self-rejuvenation. Negativity, bad news, papers, exams and stress will persist. Unfortunately, D2L will always be there. But your energy is ﬁnite. Enter the home stretch with a hard work ethic towards your assignments, but also an understanding that you are more than the red ink letter with a circle around it.

Think of self-help as an additional three credit course you’re taking: What would your grade look like right now? How can you improve it? What resources do you need to achieve that improvement? Then go do it – you’ve got this.

– CL

A fervent defense of Churchill Tower

By RYAN HARRINGTON CONTRIBUTOR

Churchill Tower, the building we all love to hate has actually – I think – been the best spot on campus all along.

Where else on campus can you ﬁnd your favorite professors stacked for your convenience?

Why do I love Churchill? The reasons are plentiful: I love the hideous brown brick that matches nothing; the orange carpet inexplicably in some classrooms, but not others; and those garish marble benches that have no place in the lobby of an oﬃce building. I love the elevator, where every ride might be your last; and most of all, I love that even though the building has no corners, everything inside it is shoved into one.

“Laughter is the best medicine, and what is togetherness without universal mockery?”

When I cross the threshold from Old Main into the shadowlands of Churchill, I feel like one false step will send heaps of books pouring oﬀ cluttered shelves to crush professors in their cozy pie-shaped oﬃces. Everything is teetering close to disrepair, but never actually broken.

I think Churchill knows it’s vile too. When you open the door to either restroom, moans in agony screech out at you, as if its existence causes it as much pain as it causes us.

ability to complete tasks. Need oﬃce space? Slap a giant pole of oﬃces smack in front of your main building. Need parking? Tear down the parking garage and replace it with half a lot and a pointless expanse of weeds. It’s perfect!

“Churchill is the most Canisius thing I can imagine.”

Churchill is so repugnant that students cannot fathom it was wanted. The best legend is that a wealthy Lutheran paid for it to be built as an insult to the Catholic Church. In reality, an architect designed Churchill, trustees approved it and students failed to make enough noise to prevent it.

We’ll never tear it down because of the cost, loss of oﬃce space and the giant hole it’d leave in the ground that would make removing it almost as stupid as building it to begin with. The tower will last as long as Canisius does. I could spend hours pondering that ghastly Godless abomination, but questions are superﬂuous. What is Churchill…? Why does Churchill…? There aren’t any answers.

The one important question is: what is Canisius without that giant brown battery? Churchill is the most Canisius thing I can imagine. It’s a perfect representation of our university’s

Beyond the great Catholic tradition of blaming Protestants for our own folly, this legend reveals something deeper about that horcrux of Jesuit education – human nature is ﬁckle; things enjoyed now may one day become obsolete.

VIA MIKAYLA BOYD

While some trends come back into style, that ghoulish specter begotten by the sins of architects throughout the ages never will. Churchill unites us. That phallic fountain of knowledge has a great contribution to the community atmosphere at Canisius. There are legends, memes and now, satirical articles about Churchill. We know the next crop of Griﬀs are ready to roar when they tease the tower – it’s a sacrament of initiation.

Laughter is the best medicine, and what is togetherness without universal mockery?

When I pass the tower’s grim, grinning visage, I can’t help but smile. The building is so ugly that it’s actually fun. In a way, I’m glad we get to laugh at Churchill Tower every year. The tower is part of us. It reminds us not to take life too seriously and that one day our greatest accomplishment might be mocked by generations of students. That is Churchill Tower’s beautiful gift.

Contact Ryan Harrington harrin28@canisius.edu

This past Wednesday 12 students were inducted into the prestigious, Canisius-exclusive DiGamma Honor Society, or as The Underground likes to call it Overachievers Anonymous –DorkGamma works too.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, many campus organizations are hosting their own festive feasts with accouterments on theme with their club. The dinner hosted by Canisius University Morticians (whose acronym we cannot put in print) however, did not get their event FDA approved.

The Underground is proud to have been appointed to the Canisius Institutional Sustainability Task Force. The Underground is proud to announce that it will be fighting to cut all dining expenses. The students of Canisius will be made to survive off of the land, fulfilling the Jesuit value of “care for the whole person.” We will turn the Quad into a farm and dispatch the rifle club into Forest Lawn cemetery to hunt for deer and squirrels.

President-elect Donald Trump has oﬀered The Underground a position in his cabinet. Under The Underground’s leadership of the bureaucracy, America shall Answer the Call.

The Underground understands that registration for classes has been underway for a few weeks now and that most classes are full at this point, but for those still looking for classes, courses like In-Depth Uranus Studies, How to be a University President, Study of the Faculty Handbook, Probing 101, Diagnosing D-Hall Syndrome, and Journalism have no seats ﬁlled yet.

The Underground can’t believe it’s saying this, but now that Griffin staff members are watching The Eras Tour during editing night, The Underground actually longs for the days of the staff punching holes in the walls over the Bills’ Thursday night games.

Now that Halloween is over, The Underground would like permission to oﬃcially start celebrating Christmas. Those interested in joining the festivities can start by bringing us lumps of coal to keep the furnace that keeps the oﬃce the same temperature as the depths of Hell up and running. Coal is also The Underground’s favorite little snack, so bring extra while you’re at it.

The Underground has once again committed itself to furthering this campus’s betterment. What we thought was the smell of burnt toast and a sign of our inevitable stroke, was actually the smell of a very burnt waﬄe we had to rescue from the new waﬄe maker in D-Hall.

Upon further reﬂection, we should have let it burn to avenge the stolen ice cream machine that it replaced.

Vote ﬁrst, research second: tariﬀs

By M.H. CONTRIBUTOR

As citizens of the United States, we have a civic duty and a right to vote. Many of us cannot seem to get that seemingly simple job done though, so it is no surprise that a large number of the population forgets that they should also be not just voters, but informed voters. Admittedly, being a completely informed voter is nearly an impossible task. Even our noble representatives in Congress do not fully read through and understand the bills that they plan to vote on after they have courteously been placed on their desks by various lobbyists, but that’s an issue for another article. My current grievance lies with the fact that two days after Election Day, the amount of Google searches for the word “tariﬀ” was over six times higher than two days prior to Election Day.

At this point, I can spare everyone an internet search and say that tariffs are taxes imposed on imported goods as they come into the country. For example, let’s say that a one-pound bag of coffee comes into a U.S. port from Columbia. This bag might have cost Starbucks $10 to buy from their supplier, and the import tax would be a percentage of that cost. So, if Starbucks kindly hands the government a crisp $1 bill to cover that tax, Starbucks would now value their bag of delicious coffee at $11, up from $10.

“My current grievance lies with the fact that two days after Election Day, the amount of Google searches for the word ‘tariﬀ ’ was over six times higher than two days prior to Election Day.”

Now to the important part – one of Trump’s main tax platforms is the idea that he will try to implement at least a 10% tariff on all imports and a 60% tariff on all Chinese imports. For some unfathomable reason, there seems to have been some confusion from many of those who voted for Trump on who tariffs really effect. I have seen claims and stories that some of those staunchly red supporters believed that the exporting country – Columbia in my prior example –would, for some reason, pay the new tariffs. Others naively thought, if they understood who initially pays a tariff, that the importing business would simply eat the additional cost of bringing inventory into the country. Unfortunately for us, neither of those fantasies are true. We, the consumers, will be paying these new tariffs. Quite simply, if the cost of selling goods increases, then the costs for consumers buying those goods will see a similar increase. We will be paying for the extra $1 that Starbucks paid for those imaginary imported coffee beans. One article from The Washington Post from Oct. 26 cited an estimated additional cost of $2,600 to the average middle-class family, directly caused by Trump’s planned import taxes. While I would personally like to see the numbers that

went into that ﬁgure, I can agree with the sentiment that the additional tax’s burden on the average person could be crushing.

Please, take a moment to think of everyday items or foods that we source from other countries. Have you recently had any coffee to feed your crippling addiction? If you’re like me, then you might be considering having your second for the day. Another quick Google search will show that the U.S. imports over $8 billion worth of coffee each year. A tariff of 10% would add about $800 million to that initial cost of $8 billion. Luckily, Hawaii produces some fantastic coffee beans that we can all get tariff-free. Tragically, Hawaii only produces about 1% of the volume of coffee that is consumed in the country.

“No matter how we all voted or the reasoning that went into ﬁ lling in those dots on the ballot, I would challenge all of us, including myself, to be better informed.”

These new tariﬀs will also be impacting many products from factories in the U.S., such as literally all “Americanmade” cars that use foreign components and materials that simply cannot be sourced from America.

I now want to inform everyone about the basic principles of taxation. We can broadly place diﬀerent taxes into two categories: progressive and regressive.

With progressive taxes, the amount of tax that an individual owes increases proportionally with their total income. Our income tax brackets and their marginal increases are a perfect example of this. The more you make, the higher percentage of your income is taxed.

With regressive taxes, the tax burden disproportionately affects low-income individuals. Tariffs are generally regressive taxes since the costs flow down to the consumer.

If I buy a coﬀee made with imported beans, I might be covering 10 cents of the import tax on those beans. If a certain felon with distinct hair buys that same coﬀee and pays that same extra 10 cents, then we have both essentially been taxed 10 cents. 10 cents is a much larger percentage of my yearly income than it is of Donald Trump’s yearly income. This number may seem small, but an extra 10 cents every day for a whole year will add up to $36.50. This is another small number, but I really do hope you get the point that I’m trying to make.

Overall, I just wish that I did not feel compelled to write this article on tariffs. I wish that many of my fellow Americans had been better informed of how Trump’s policies would affect them, because many of them clearly did not care about how some of his policies would impact others. No matter how we all voted or the reasoning that went into filling in those dots on the ballot, I would challenge all of us, including myself, to be better informed.

An opportunity for pre-law students

By COURTNEY LYONS

OPINION EDITOR

On Tuesday, Nov. 20, the Frank G. Raichle Pre-Law Center and the pre-law fraternity Phi Alpha Delta are hosting a panel entitled “From Classroom to Courtroom,” geared around ﬁve distinguished lawyers’ journeys, at 6 p.m. in Science Hall Commons. The panel will be moderated by the two new Raichle Pre-Law Co-Directors, Judge Lenore Foote-Beavers and Mr. Scott Sroka. I encourage anyone who has ever even pondered law school or possesses any tincture of an inclination towards the legal profession to attend.

In the legal field, like many others, networking is everything. Canisius has its own association of alumni esquires known as the Desmond Law Society, named after Charles S. Desmond, a Canisius alumnus and former Chief Judge of the highest court in the state, the New York Court of Appeals. This is the first time this semester that you will be able to meet many of those alumni, who can possibly provide you with internships in the near future or even careers in the coming decades. Following the panel is a reception to introduce yourself to the panelists and other attending lawyers to make a good first impression.

Many of you probably do not realize Canisius even has a prelaw center, given that its former home was Lyons Hall, which was destroyed in December 2022. The new location is OM 103, tucked away in the hallway between Old Main and Bagen Hall. The prelaw center is currently in a zone of transition, but that should not stop you from taking advantage of the opportunities before you. I hope to see you there!

By AVA C. GREEN EDITOR-IN CHIEF

“Any suggestions for enjoying Thanksgiving even though I can’t go home for the holiday?”

Sure, there’s no place like home for the holidays, but being dorm-bound doesn’t have to be devastating. There are plenty of ways to make Turkey Day your own and make up some residence hall rituals that you’ll want to make habitual.

Regardless of the building you live in, you have access to at least a small kitchen area on campus – albeit some are sketchier than others. And regardless of your usual Thanksgiving festivities, you deﬁnitely have at least one dish you look forward to every year. This is the perfect time to hit up that one auntie that always says she regrets not going to culinary school, and snatch that green bean casserole recipe right out of her oven-mitted hands. Even if you don’t consider yourself an amazing chef, you’ll have plenty of time on your hands and not many people around, so you can experiment until it’s as close to the real thing as you can get on campus. Who knows, you might even end up making better gravy than grandma.

Not celebrating Thanksgiving like usual is hard, but a good ol’ Friendsgiving isn’t that bad of a second option. Just oﬀ the top of my head, I can recall a few students who have also mentioned they’d be Thanksgiving-ing away from home this year, so I promise you that you aren’t going to be like Will Smith in “I, Robot”: lonely, desperate and trying to conversate with the statue of Peter Canisius to resemble some form of human connection. Don’t hole up in your room – rally around the rest of the dorm rats who are probably just as upset about their situation as you are with yours. Say hello, wish them a happy Thanksgiving, oﬀer them some of that casserole; even invite them to join your dinner table on the 28th. Personally, I’d take making a new friend over eating on the couch with a YouTube video on in the background. I can (and probably will) do that on any other given day.

Let’s say you’re not too fond of being in the kitchen, and you’re not the most extroverted person around. The last two paragraphs probably sound like a nightmare, and you sound like Thanksgiving – the holiday of cooking and conversation – might not be your favorite day. Why not use this as an opportunity to make your own traditions? Again, this is a tough spot to be in if every other year has been spent with friends and family, so do something special for yourself this year. It doesn’t even have to be festive, as long as it helps make the day bearable. There’s plenty of places still open on Thanksgiving in Buﬀalo. For example, you can replace turkey with a seafood boil from Aloha Krab’s Friendsgiving event, or treat yourself to some Black Friday retail therapy. You might also want to capitalize on how sentimental you may be feeling on the holiday and write some holiday cards for your loved ones. It’ll make your heart just a little less heavy, and make their day when they get it in the mail.

I’m known to feel FOMO when I know my family is together and I can’t be there; but this year, let’s be thankful for the modern technology that allows us to facetime into the function and see some friendly faces, as people pass the phone around the table. It’s a good reminder that –like you – they’re all missing someone too…you!

I hope you’re able to make the most of where you’re spending the holiday this year; and have the happiest, most gluttonous Thanksgiving you can.

Love, Ava and The Griﬃn family

Brain

“For the Love of Juliet”

By THE GRIFFIN STAFF

Next week, Little Theatre (LT) performs their second production of the year, “For the Love of Juliet” produced by senior Amanda Ostroske. The show will be located in the Black Box and performances will be held on Thursday, Nov. 21, and Friday, Nov. 22, both at 8:00 p.m. It will then be followed by a matinee on Saturday, Nov. 23, at 2:00 p.m. and their ﬁnal performance at 8:00 p.m. Doors will open a half hour before designated show times. And for the love of Juliet, come see the amazing work and love these students put into LT.

Goodreads writes of the play, “Julie has dedicated herself to a muse named Romeo who is grooming Julie for a Broadway debut as Juliet in ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ Alex, the irresponsible love of Julie’s life, returns from a ﬁve year voyage to ﬁnd himself and now he wants to recapture Julie’s heart. To the muse’s opposition, Julie goes on a date, and her heart is torn between Alex’s apparent love for her and the muse who is always around commenting on Alex’s every word. Oh, by the way, Alex also has a muse-in-training named Ginger, who not only needs a lot of attention, but keeps distracting Romeo because she likes Romeo. Will Julie choose the imaginary man or the real man? And are imaginary men more helpful and fun?”

For the Love of

6. and Juliet

Across

5. For the Love of ____

6. and Juliet

9. ____ in the park

11. “I will not throw away my ____”

14. Who does Tim Curry play in The Rocky Horror Picture Show?

15. This weird musical based on animals had a creepy CGI movie made based on it

_________ in the park 11. “I will not throw away my

Down

1. The Color ____

Who does Tim Curry play in The Rocky Horror Picture Show? 15. This weird musical based on animals had a

Directed by: Amanda Ostroske

Producers: Michael Dobrasz & Nadia Philibin

Stage Manager & Assistant Stage Manager: Briana Wasil & Krissy Klein

Starring:

Julie: Abby Gurgol

Romeo: Mallory Knox

Alex: Dominic Vivolo

Ginger: Alexis Logan

Director: Mo Hill

Assistant Director: Alexa Gioia

2. ______ the Demon Barber of Fleet Street

3. “_______ Lightning”

4. Estragon and Vladimir are waiting for _____

7. This famous animated Disney classic was turned into a musical

8. Which musical was based on the real-life Newsboy Strike of 1899?

10. Famous musical about a little orphan

12. _______ of the Opera

13. What is the name of the carnivorous plant from Little Shop of Horrors?

Canisius Kitty: Auggy

By JULIAN REYNOSO ASST. CREATIVE CORNER EDITOR

“Hello my name is Auggy” says this cute little kitty’s name tag on his fancy bow tie collar. His full name is Augustine Lionel Fuentes and he is Lucy Fuentes’ six-monthold kitten.

He is a Siamese-Ragdoll mix, and he is her emotional support kitty! Auggy resides with Fuentes in her dorm and he loves to play. “His favorite toy is this purple spring he broke, he goes crazy for it,” Fuentes said.

AUGGY LYING IN FRONT OF THE DRESSER IN HIS

JACK O’LANTERN SWEATER

She saw the oﬀering for Auggy the day it came up, which happened to be on her birthday. Fuentes said “It’s like he was being oﬀered just for me; he’s one of my favorite breeds which are so expensive, but he was only $440. I could just tell I had to get him.” She hasn’t regretted getting him. Auggy loves his Halloween sweater, but rumor has it, he’ll be getting a Christmas themed one soon. It’s on his wishlist along with Churu squeeze tubes and crinkle balls… seriously, he LOVES crinkle balls.

If you’d like to have your cuddly Canisius companion shown, email me at reynosoj@canisius.edu.

Contact Julian Reynoso reynosoj@canisius.edu

VIA LUCY FUENTES

Snazzy sudoku

Editor: Colin Richey

Inconsistency Plagues Griffs in 0–3 Start to Season

By Andrew Nowel CONTRIBUTOR

The men’s basketball team has started the season 0–3, falling in their latest matchups to Saint Bonaventure and Mercyhurst. Even with offensive success against the Bonnies last Saturday and defensive success against the Lakers on Wednesday, the Griffs haven’t been able to find success on both sides of the court in the same game. With the team heading to Michigan this upcoming weekend, the Griffs look to find the consistency needed to win their first game of the season.

The Griffs were able to find offensive success through junior Paul McMillan IV’s 31 points, a career high. Shooting 11–15 from the floor, McMillan became the first player since Malcolm McMillan in 2015-16 – no relation – to score 30+ points in his first home game of the season.

The Bonnies would win 87–78, but Head Coach Jim Christian was pleased with what he saw against Saint Bonaventure. He explained, “I think there’s a level of consistency we’re still trying to find, but I think with the Bonnies game, we took a big step forward. [This season] we’ve had a lot of bad turnovers, and we’re only forcing seven turnovers, so you can’t win if they’re getting more shots.”

The Griffs returned to the road on Wednesday night

against the Mercyhurst Lakers for Mercyhurst’s first Division I home game. The Griffs played well defensively, but the offense struggled. McMillan dropped 20 while senior Tana Kopa notched 17 points. They were the only Griffs to score more than five points. The Lakers used a 12–0 run in the second half to defeat the Griffs 62–52.

McMillan became the first player since Larry Fogle in 1974 to score 20+ or more points in the first three games of the season at Canisius with his 20 points at Mercyhurst. He commented on how his 31-point game against the

Bonnies helped to bring the offensive success, but how a win is more important.

“It’s always nice to accomplish things like that, but I just wanted to get the win and we failed to do so,” said McMillan. “Going back to the film room, watching film and figuring out what we need to do in practice because it all starts in practice.”

Sophomore Cam Palesse echoed the sentiment regarding practice, believing that is the answer to the team’s lack of consistency: “It really comes down to our connectedness and our discipline.

The everyday grind of practice and staying locked in because it can get lost in a long season.”

The Griffs will return to the court on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 3 p.m. to face SIUE in the Bronco Classic in Kalamazoo, Michigan before playing the host Western Michigan Broncos on Sunday, Nov. 17, at 12 p.m. They will also travel to Maryland to face the Terrapins on Tuesday night, Nov. 19, with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m.

Contact Andrew Nowel Nowela@canisius.edu

Canisius Volleyball Drops Two MAAC Contests

By Isabella Custodi CONTRIBUTOR

Canisius volleyball took on two losses after playing MAAC rivals the Fairfield Stags and the Sacred Heart Pioneers over the weekend. The Griffs fell in three sets to the Stags on Saturday, and in four sets to the Pioneers on Sunday.

Against Fairfield, senior Kara Zaucha totaled 11 kills, marking the 17th time she has recorded double digit kills in a match this season. Junior Ella Borque also had a strong match with 20 assists. Senior Jillian Hanna recorded 13 digs, a team-high. Overall, Canisius totaled 40 kills, three aces and a .214 hitting percentage. Meanwhile, the Stags finished with 49 kills, a .259 hitting percentage and two aces.

The Griffs put up a better fight against Sacred Heart, winning the second set 25–14, but dropping the first, third and fourth sets. Graduate student Sofia Hedqvist recorded 12 kills, junior Bella Mosquera notched eight kills and Zaucha had seven. Borque once again led the team in assists, this time with 41. The Griffs tallied up 52 kills, a .302 hitting percentage and five assists. The Pioneers notched 52 kills, a .288 hitting percentage and 10 aces.

Bourque’s 41 assists is the seventh time that she has recorded 40 or more assists in a match this season. Bourque now sits 33 assists away from fifth place on the program’s leaderboard for career assists.

Sophomore Lauren Hubert also played well in both games against Fairfield and Sacred Heart. She earned nine kills and

four blocks against Fairfield, and 20 kills, two aces, 15 digs and a .444 attack clip against Sacred Heart. Her double-double marked her fourth of the season and the 15th time that Hubert has tallied 10 or more kills.

The two games brought the Golden Griffins to 14–13 overall and 10–6 in the

MAAC. The Griffs close out their season with matches in Poughkeepsie, NY against Marist on Saturday, Nov. 16, and in Loudonville, New York against Siena on Sunday, Nov. 17.

Contact Isabella Custodi Custodii@canisius.edu

Kara Zaucha in action against Sacred Heart

Paul McMillan IV dribbling the ball against Mercyhurst

VIA GREG VASIL

VIA CAMERON HORNING

By Ryan Patota

Hockey Swept By Air Force

Canisius Hockey beat Army twice last week for their first sweep of the season, moving to 3–6 overall and 3–0 in Atlantic Hockey play.

The Griffs were led by a duo of sophomores: Matteo Giampa and Ethan Robertson. Robertson, who was named AHA Goalie of the Week, recorded a shutout on Thursday – the first for the Griffs since Jacob Barczewski did the same two years ago in the AHA Championship game against Holy Cross.

“I think everyone has really noticed that [Robertson] has taken a really big step this year,” explained Giampa. “His preparation, daily work ethic and practice have been really, really good, and he’s improved a lot with that.”

Speaking of Giampa, he notched two goals and three assists in the series against Army, marking the third straight game in which he has recorded a point. Giampa doesn’t believe he’s done much differently compared to the four-game pointless stretch he had at the beginning of the season.

“Nothing has really changed,” he said. “I think the key to that was not changing anything, not changing the way I play. You know, still doing the

By Maggie Tifft

After two losses on the road at the beginning of the season, the Canisius Women’s Basketball team headed back to Pennsylvania in search of their first win.

The first two games resulted in tough losses, but highlighted the quick turnaround and strong effort this team has. Head Coach Tiffany Swoffard acknowledged the first game jitters she anticipated, but also emphasized the group’s strong grit to play an entire game and not give up.

“I would say that in terms of the effort and the competition, we won that battle, and I was extremely proud of how we responded and how we settled in,” explained Coach Swofford. With the season just beginning it is important for the Griffs to maintain their composure and effort no matter the opponent, according to Coach Swoffard. “Throughout the season we do have at least a starting point – a home base to go back to to say we’ve already been in this position. That won’t be the last time that we have a challenging first quarter,” continued Coach Swoffard.

With the Griffs’ next contest against the Saint Francis Red Flashes on Friday, Nov. 15, the coaching staff has been going all out in practice this week to prepare the team for any and all circumstances. With this mid-major matchup, the team faces an 0–3 team who lost 80–60 to NJIT in their lone home game of the season thus far.

right thing, still doing the little things. I think it was just a matter of time before pucks started going in the net.”

Canisius begins a four-game road swing later this week, starting with a trip to the U.S. Air Force Academy for a two-game series. The Falcons, who finished just above Canisius in the AHA preseason coaches’ poll, currently sit in last place in At-

lantic Hockey, with only two points taken from their first two games.

The puck drops in this weekend’s series in Colorado on Friday at 9:05 p.m. EST for game one and at 3:05 p.m. on Saturday as the Griffs look to keep their momentum going in AHA play.

Friday’s 11 a.m. tipoff is dedicated to the kids in the community, so with lots of noise and cheers it can get rowdy. “They’re just screaming, and so I’m excited to see how we respond. You know, we’ve had the music playing in practice all week. We’ll continue to keep the music playing in preparation for the chaotic noise,” says Coach Swofford.

WEEK AT A GLANCE

After their final trip in a threegame away streak, the Griffs return home to host two local rivals, St. Bonaventure and University at Buffalo. Coach Swoffard and the team’s first game at the Koessler Athletic Center will be against the Bonnies on Nov. 19 at 6 p.m.

Women’s acrobatics and tumbling will be Canisius University’s newest athletic program, according to Canisius University President Steve Stoute and Vice President and Director of Athletics Bill Maher in a press release from Friday, Nov. 1.

“The addition of acrobatics and tumbling marks another significant step in Canisius University’s strategic vision to enhance the student experience,” President Stoute said. “By expanding our athletic program offerings, we create exciting new opportunities for talented student-athletes to compete at the Division I level while growing our undergraduate population with exceptional students who demonstrate leadership in competition and in the classroom.”

“After an extensive conversation with several of our conference peers and the National Acrobatics and Tumbling Association leadership, we believe acrobatics and tumbling is a natural fit to be the next varsity sports program here at Canisius,” Maher explained. “With the rise of acrobatics and tumbling as an emerging sport for women in the NCAA, this new program will integrate itself seamlessly into the goals of our University by providing fulfilling student experiences and helping drive our enrollment goals. Our department takes great pride in developing and producing high-quality female student-athletes, and we look forward to continuing that tradition.”

The newest Golden Griffin team will aim to begin competing in the 2025–26 academic year, according to the release. Canisius added that the school will immediately begin a national search for a head coach. From there, the roster will be constructed of 35 to 45 female student-athletes.

Contact Colin Richey Richey4@canisius.edu