Students packed the Global Neighborhood concourse for sushi, sliders and a chance to pet Pearl — a cow that has quietly become a staple of Elon University’s Earth Week.
The Office of Sustainability and Elon Dining partnered to host two annual events, Party for the Planet and Earth Fest, bringing students together to celebrate nature while highlighting campus sustainability initiatives.
Party For the Planet was stationed outside the entrance to the food area, giving attendees the chance to walk past a slew of tables with clubs advertising sustainability. Many tables included fun activities, such as painting water bottles or spinning wheels to win prizes.
Club Volleyball displayed trays of colorful sand for students to make sand necklaces. Club Volleyball president Sammy Silins said she saw the event as a chance to spread awareness about pollution related to beach volleyball.
“You don’t want to step in glass or plastic left behind,” Silins said. “I’ve done it before. No fun. It’s not great for the marine life as well, and you don’t want to harm any of the animals in the ocean. So, it’s a big reason why we’re here.”
Earth Fest, an annual get-together providing students with a variety of sustainability-focused foods, was once again a hit. At peak traffic, lines for food stretched from one side of the concourse to the other.
Elon University Dining Services served foods from a variety of cultures during Earth Fest on April 23 at Lake Mary Nell.
Food options included fried rice, gourmet mini-sliders, sushi and soft-serve sundaes across many concession stands. Senior Caden Halberg said that despite the long lines, the food was good enough to keep him coming back.
Despite the large crowd of students gathering to celebrate nature, the standout attendee?
Pearl, a Cow from Ran-Lew Dairy farm. Pearl has attended the event for three straight years and has quickly become a student favorite.
“I came here to touch the cow,” freshman Jonathan Oterro said. “I’ve got to do it. It seems sweet.”
Pearl first appeared at Earth Fest in 2024 after Elon’s Milk Club connected with Ran-Lew Dairy, which supplies milk to the university’s dining halls. Since then, the visit has become a legen-dairy part of the event.
Milk Club co-president-elect Niyah Borgman said the experience helps students connect more directly with where their food comes from.
“People kind of look at cows as they drive past different farms, and they never think, ‘I'll get to touch a cow,”’ Borgman said. “So when they get to it's a great opportunity.”
This year, Pearl was joined by a younger cow named Genesis and a goats for students to pet. Borgman said it’s hard to tell who enjoys the experience more — the students or the animals.
“We think they like the new scenery of Elon,” Borgman said. “They definitely like the grass here.”
Beyond the food and festivities, organizers said the goal of Earth Week is to make sustainability feel accessible.
“We just want people to know that sustainability is not as daunting as people think it is,” said Gillian Prichard, an Eco-Rep for the Historic Neighborhood. “It’s actually super simple, and some of your favorite organizations on campus are able to be sustainable as well.”
Events for Earth Week will continue on April 24 and 26, including a clothing swap shop, sustainable fashion show and zero-waste baseball game.