Kennedy Robinson
On the campus of Michigan State University, the Springtime represents a multitude of things. It is a time for fresh flowers, sunbathing in front of Landon, and…cows?
On April 22 on the lawn of 1855 Place, there were six baby cows calves available for students to pet, feed, and de-stress right in time for finals. There were also cow themed snacks and drinks like chocolate milk, yogurt tubes, cheese sticks, and more.
Paige Emerson, community director of University Apartments & Spartan Village was one of the creators of the ‘Cows at 1855 Place’ event.
“We wanted to bring MSU’s dairy cows to 1855 for our end-of-year, de-stressor event because there was a lot of interest in the cows earlier this semester,” Emerson said. “Not all students were able to visit the farms when the advertised times happened in late February, so we wanted to bring the cows here to our residents as a way to lift spirits and help residents de-stress right before finals.
“We’re hoping that the event brings residents a moment where they can get their minds off their exams and final papers and can just come out and pet some calves! This is also a great way to spread information and awareness of the many things MSU has to offer our students and the community, so we’re hoping for a good turnout,” said Emerson.
Carl Paratore, a second year law student and resident assistant in 1855 Place, said the cows were less than month old and ready to interact with students.
“Most of the calves that are at the event have been born within the past month. This provides an amazing opportunity for students to pet, feed, and hang out with baby cows. We hope that this event gives students the chance to step away from schoolwork and bring some extra serotonin during finals season,” Paratore said.
Many students enjoyed being able to relax and destress with the baby calves, including Angela Solomon, a political science senior.
“I thought they were going to be super small calves. They ended up being really big for their age and I enjoyed being able to feed them and even learn how to properly milk an udder,” said Solomon.
The cows, provided by South Campus Animal Farms, are available to be seen daily between 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. daily at 3327 Collins Road, Lansing. For more information about the farms visit their website canr.msu.edu/scaf.