EAST LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) — In the midst of tragedy, the Michigan State University community is coming together for support.
While the campus horse and dairy farms are always open to the public, the opportunity to interact with the animals Wednesday and Thursday is especially meaningful.
A steady stream of MSU students, some faculty and staff and families with little kids showed up to the MSU Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center to pet and groom the animals.
“After lunch, I was like, ‘I’d like to hug a cow if that’s OK,'" Nicole Proctor-Kanyama said.
She said she’s worked at MSU since 2006 and graduated in 2000.
Now, she finds herself struggling to process this week’s tragedy in East Lansing.
“Just really grateful to be able to have time and space," Proctor-Kanyama explained.
“Your heart goes out for the people who weren’t safe and whose families didn’t get to hug their kids," she continued.
Faith Cullens-Nobis, director of MSU’s South Campus Animal Farms, said some people have come to hang out for 10 minutes while others stay for two hours.
"We were just thinking of yesterday, what can we do? I want to be active. I want to do something to help, and so we just had this idea, just open up our farms," she explained.
It's a therapeutic experience.
“Interacting with animals, there’s actual research shown to decrease blood pressure, relieve stress and a lot of the students that have been here today have said this is the first time that they’ve ever been on a farm. How exciting it is for them? They feel better just after being here with the animals," she explained.
Dr. Angel Abuelo, a veterinarian and associate professor in the vet school, said it's relaxing.
“Obviously, I love animals. But obviously, being here helps me personally cope with everything that has happened in the last days," he said.
"We've had a lot of food donations. So, a lot of our people who are visiting are here eating and drinking and just being together," Cullens-Nobis said.
Together, they're "Spartan Strong."
Proctor-Kanyama said, “It’s nice to see MSU being who I know we are and helping each other get through this and supporting each other.”
Anyone who missed out Wednesday will be able to come out to the horse and dairy farms Thursday.
