Students have the opportunity to shop at school. The Shop the Closet event started on Dec. 3 in Intercultural Exchange C1430. There students can pick up a range of items like clothes, toiletries, to household items like sheets and bedding and even crockpots or coffee makers, all free of charge.

The idea is to give students an opportunity to grab things that they might need but don’t quite have the time or money to go out and grab themselves. “I really hope this just helps students out and keep going, being strong for the end of the semester, even if it’s just the small things that you don’t think about,” said Roe Encizo Student Support Advisor, of the various items students can find at Shop the Closet.

This is the first year for Shop the Closet and the event is a collaboration from the Center for International Education, Intercultural Exchange, and Student Life. Tammy Gibbs Education Abroad Coordinator came up with the main idea, “I could bring them to a donation center or I could somehow figure out how to get them to our students for free,” said Gibbs.

The rest of the organizations were approached to figure out how to make it happen, Encizo had the idea to have an actual closet to shop. The decision originally planned for one day turned into what is happening now, an actual closet in Intercultural Exchange, where students of the department have been busy putting together what can be shopped through for most of the month.

Donations have been plenty, and the hope is the only thing left in the closet are empty shelves. While there are many items that are gently used, there is a full rack of clothes including some professional clothes (all electronics have been tested and are in good condition) there are also some brand-new items that have been donated.

Students can come and take what they want but are being asked not to take more than needed. “Take what you need but be considerate of other students that also might need something,” said Encizo

If the event is successful it may be offered again in the coming years. Items taken will be kept track of to see what was useful to students and what maybe wasn’t. Students are encouraged to make suggestions for things that were not offered but they would like to see at the closet, just talk to someone in Intercultural Exchange.