On Tuesday, Jan. 24, La Salle invited eight four-legged friends onto campus, brightening an otherwise nerve-wracking week shrouded in final exams with the opportunity to spend the afternoon with baby goats in the courtyard.

“We really wanted to do something that was to support kids and make them get something fun out of what can be a really stressful week,” Director of Community and Student Leadership Ms. Adriana Noesi said.

Being an instrumental figure in organizing the post-exam petting zoo, Ms. Noesi said that she drew inspiration from the Instagram posts of other schools, who held similar events for their students, and remembers thinking that “it’d be really cool to bring [goats] in as a joyous moment for kids during finals,” she said.

And a joyous moment it was for the group of students and staff members who ventured into the courtyard to hold, pet, and admire the goats after the last final exam of the day.

“This is the happiest moment of my life,” senior Sophia Eggen said, having just relinquished her time in the pen with the goats. “I’m so happy right now.”

For senior Olivia Serio, who attended meetings to help with planning, bringing the goats onto campus during finals week is something she views as beneficial for the community in more ways than one. Primarily, “it’s getting people to be together,” she said, and “it’s just something to look forward to after finals.” 

The baby goats were rented for the afternoon from the organization Portland Goat Parties which is run by a local farm that raises the goats and offers a multitude of interactive services, like appearing at birthday parties and hosting goat therapy sessions and goat yoga.

Brenna Gunnell, who works for the organization and brought the goats for Tuesday’s event, said that the service began alongside the pandemic and the quarantines, as “people needed a place to go,” she said. “So they just went to our farm.”

Now, she aids in bringing the goats to requested events like La Salle’s to bring their “really nice energy,” she said, to the local communities.

Looking forward, it is the hope of some that events resembling this one will continue in the years to come. Junior and co-event organizer Sarah Doles said that holding a similar event next year is something the community could continue to enjoy, both for fun and wellness. 

“I think having this is a good reset and just something to do to calm down,” Doles said.