CHLOE KOWALYK
Editor in Chief
Just a few years ago, the small, white paws of a chihuahua pranced around Fredonia, excitedly walking through the campus and closely following her owner.
This small, yet spunky chihuahua was named “Twilight.”
Twilight was a white, long-haired chihuahua owned by Fredonia alumna Karen O’Connell.
O’Connell used to attend Fredonia, and frequently brought Twilight along with her, leading the small dog to become well-known across Fredonia’s campus and among students and the community alike.
Fredonia alumni and current students (mostly upperclassmen), had gotten to know the duo well.
O’Connell and Twilight held a tight bond, and were practically inseparable.
In 2019, The Leader published an article about the duo, detailing how the two often walked around stores and visited the salon together, in addition to their time on Fredonia’s campus.
O’Connell said Twilight never barked, meaning it was easy to bring her to different places.
Twilight was O’Connell’s first dog, and she made many unforgettable memories with the small companion.
O’Connell and Twilight were bound by friendship for 14 years until Twilight recently passed away.
The news was hard for O’Connell, who had practically lost one of her best friends.
O’Connell then began to seek ways to honor Twilight’s life and legacy.
Even after Twilight’s passing, O’Connell is still recognized around campus.
She said students often ask her about Twilight, and share their memories of seeing her around.
Most commonly, O’Connell said she sees students who remember her in the campus Starbucks.
With how important Twilight was to both O’Connell and Fredonia students, O’Connell has published a book in honor of Twilight, titled “Memories of Twilight.”
In her book, O’Connell describes her life with her dog, and recaps some memories she has had with Twilight, including those on Fredonia’s campus.
“This has been a long grieving process and a difficult road,” she said.
Writing her memoir about Twilight served as a coping mechanism for O’Connell. “I still continue to think about Twilight and I was so attached to her,” she said.
O’Connell wrote the book and created the cover art for it herself.
Because she took several art classes at Fredonia, and enjoyed drawing, she decided she wanted to be the one to do the illustration of Twilight on the cover.
Her art for the book was completely hand-drawn.
O’Connell’s book also contains photos of Twilight.
Hoping to share her memories with Twilight to the community, O’Connell held a book sale outside of the PetSmart in Dunkirk.
She sold 50 copies of her book, and is hoping to do another book signing soon in front of the Next Chapter Bookstore. O’Connell also hopes to hand out bookmarks showing off the illustration of Twilight on the cover of the book soon.