Braden Saint-Val – News Writer
The students of INQ 101 Section 52 teamed up with the University Police to give back to the campus community and combat food insecurity this holiday season.
INQ 52 and Sergeant Cynthia Torres with her K9 partner Jules, held a “Stuff-A-Cruiser” food drive last Tuesday, where the challenge was to fill a police cruiser with donated items for both humans and their pets to benefit the Southern Food Pantry.
Through this event, the class fulfilled the community service requirement of the course under Torres’ guidance. With the entire class consisting of business majors, Torres said it gave them a chance to learn how to run their own events.
Business marketing major Brianna Roberts, a freshman, said that Torres and Jules meet with her class every Tuesday and are a major help when it comes to getting comfortable with the university as freshmen.
Torres said the food drive reflects the police’s dedication to giving back to the university.
“At the police department, our goal with the community outreach with Jules is to do at least one program a month that has a lot of impact. For us, it’s just to see and to know that we make a difference with our own community here at home at Southern.” Torres said.
The police cruiser and donation desk were set in the academic, and while donations were coming in throughout the day, students walked by with curiosity and petted Jules.
Officer Rich Simons from Yale University’s police department even came by with their public safety service, Heidi.
In the end, the food drive was a success, with over 300 pounds of food that barely fit the cruiser which will go directly toward the university’s Food Pantry’s inventory and its Pet Corner.
The pantry’s Graduate Intern Victoria Ibitoye is immensely grateful for Sergeant Torres and the work she has done with the police and INQ 52 students to make the event happen.
“I’m really thankful for her; all the work that she does. She’s amazing. She’s a gift, and this is a gift for the pantry,” Ibitoye said.