Students enjoy campus police cookout
The SUNY Oswego University Police Community Cookout, aimed at improving police and community relations, saw high attendance in front of the on-campus station Thursday.
Two organizations collaborated with the University Police, or UP, to help host and advertise the event. Fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha and Sorority Delta Phi Epsilon assisted in food preparation and in the setup of picnic tables and yard games.
“We reached out to UP because we saw last year, and thought it was really cool,” said Briana Kur, the Vice President of Programming for Delta Phi Epsilon. Her position is responsible for scheduling events on behalf of the sorority.
“And whenever you can build a better relationship with your constituents, whoever you’re serving, I guess there’s only positives that can come from that,” University Police Assistant Chief Scott Swayze said before the event. He hoped that the cookout would help connect campus police with Oswego State students.
“I think generally all the cops I’ve met here are pretty good guys so, I like it,” said freshman Timmy Dube, who says his opinion of University Police improved after the event.
The attendees enjoyed a variety of food for free. Burgers, hotdogs, and chicken were especially popular. The three hour event included lawn games, volleyball, and live music.
Swayze says the university police are always focused on getting involved on the campus. UP officers are advisors to many student clubs and occasionally host their own events, which are open to all students.
They conduct safety seminars, driver’s education classes, and also host Coffee With a Cop twice a semester, focused on creating a conversation-focused social space with free coffee, according to Swayze. Upcoming events hosted by campus police are found on SUNY Oswego’s online calendar.
The attendees enjoyed a variety of food for free. Burgers, hotdogs, and chicken were especially popular. The three hour event included lawn games, volleyball, and live music.
A few hundred students attended. All students interviewed said they enjoyed the food. Mild winds were present throughout.