‘Caps off’ to the ALANA Student Center’s graduating class of 2023! The soon-to-be Canisius alumni were honored on Thursday, May 4, for their academic achievements at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and received special stoles to wear on commencement day.
Thanks to everyone from the campus community who attended.
The 3rd annual Juneteenth Celebration at Canisius College will be held on Thursday,June 8, 2023. All faculty, staff, and students are invited to share in a day of solidarity in honor of our African American community. This year’s event begins at 9:00 a.m. in the Science Hall Commons with a welcome by President Stoute and concludes after lunch at 1:00 p.m. All are welcomed and encouraged to participate, and we ask that you please RSVP by Friday, June 2.
Click here to add this event to your digital calendar.
In collaboration with Juneteenth Inc. of Buffalo, Canisius will host a Sankofa Day as a part of the city-wide recognition. Sankofa means to “go back and get,” it recognizes the past while focusing on the future. Members of the campus and local community will participate in workshops, complete on-site service, and experience African Drumming.
Juneteenth commemorates the anniversary of the date when news of emancipation finally reached most enslaved African Americans in Texas, and Canisius is proud to honor this day. It was on June 19, 1865, when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger along with more than 1,800 federal troops, arrived in Galveston, TX, to take control of the state from the Confederate rebellion, nearly two months after the war’s last major battle. Gen. Granger issued an order confirming the freedom promised in President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and denied them by the Confederate government.
Canisius’ Juneteenth celebration hopes to inspire conversation, action, and hope in our ongoing work toward anti-racism, diversity, and inclusion.
Members of the college community are also invited to attend activities held throughout the month. For more details on events and opportunities to volunteer for the city of Buffalo’s Juneteenth Celebration, please visit Juneteenth Buffalo.
Resources on African American history and celebrations of Juneteenth are available below:
Mark Talley, founder of Agents for Advocacy, spoke to students, faculty and staff on Monday, May 1.
Talley discussed how the events at Tops on Jefferson Ave. on May 14, 2022 impacted him personally and professionally. Talley lost his mother that day and he channeled his anger and grief into creating opportunities for individuals to support their communities in hopes that something like this would never happen again. He was authentic and vulnerable during his conversation, and answered several questions from the audience following the discussion.
Talley posted about his time at Canisius on his social media platforms as seen here:
The Office of Alumni Engagement welcomes faculty and staff to join the Women of Canisius Leadership Council.
As an alumni group, the Women of Canisius Leadership Council hosts various events throughout the year, including networking opportunities, panel discussions, informational webinars and more. This is your chance to get involved!
To join, attend the annual pinning ceremony on Thursday, May 18 at 4:00 p.m. in the Montante Cultural Center. This ceremony celebrates the transition of graduating students and new members into the alumni network and will provide an opportunity to hear from Sahar Nusseibeh, women’s basketball head coach, and network with current members.
Following the ceremony, there will be a reception with light refreshments. It’s worth noting that people of all genders are welcome to attend both the ceremony and reception. We encourage our 2023 graduates to invite their mothers, sisters, grandmothers and others to join us for this special occasion.
If you’re unable to attend the ceremony, please let us know by Emailing Sarah Sterzinger at sterzins@canisius.edu, and we’ll make sure to include you in future Women of Canisius events.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Sarah Sterzinger, Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement at sterzins@canisius.edu.