With Spring Break approaching, most students will be leaving for home or to party in warmer weather, but some will find themselves staying at the mostly deserted Eastern campus.

Mark Hudson, director of housing and dining, said there is housing available on campus for any student wishing to stay. There is an extra fee of $75 and the extra rooms are only located in Lincoln, Stevenson and Douglas Hall.

“I know a lot of athletes often find themselves in that situation since they will have practice and games over break,” Hudson said. “But we also get international students and students with jobs who wish to stay. We’ve had grad students who stay here to work on their thesis.”

Hudson said most of the athletic teams who need to stay over break are already housed in Lincoln, Stevenson or Douglas Hall.

“Students who don’t already live at LSD will have to pack up a suitcase and move into one of the extra rooms for the week,” Hudson said.

He also said the housing and dining office will be open over break, so any student who has forgotten anything will be able to contact the office and have access to the locked halls.

“I’ve had students who have gone to Europe call and say they’ve forgotten a pair of shoes they just had to have,” Hudson said, “I went into their room and got them for them.”

Mobolaji Adams, a freshman pre-business major and an international student from Nigeria, said he will be on campus over break. He said that some international students who have friends or family within the United States do have the option to stay with them if they choose.

“I think we are up to five or six (international students) staying here,” Adams said. “A couple of them could decide at the last minute to stay with their family in Chicago. I know some of them could probably afford to stay at a hotel for a couple of days.”

Adams said that he will likely study at Booth Library or relax over break.

“It’s probably just going to be really boring,” Adams said. “I’ll try and do something to make it fun for myself. I’d love to do like a million things like go to Florida. The States are big and I’ve never been outside the Charleston area.”

Adams said getting food or groceries will be difficult since the dining halls and the Panther Express will be closed over break.

“It will probably be a lot of Subway and County Market,” Adams said. “(It’s) another experience all on its own. It’s a situation I don’t have any control over.”

Hudson said the dining halls and Panther Express will be closed to help make dining plans and housing more affordable and because they would likely get very little service.

Caity Walsh, a freshman journalism major, said she will not be staying on campus, but will still be staying in Charleston with some friends. She said she will spend time practicing guitar and visiting Jackson Avenue Coffee. She will also be getting a jumpstart on assignments.

“I think Charleston makes it easier to get homework done over the break,” Walsh said. “It’s more of a normal setting, and when you’re just out of high school you are used to going home and doing your homework anyway.”

Adams agreed with Walsh and said Charleston is a good place for students to focus on their studies because there are less distractions.

Walsh also said that she will occasionally visit campus since she works at the Library.

“It will be creepy,” Walsh said. “There’s usually always people. It will be like a zombie apocalypse.”

Seth Schroeder can be reached at 581-2812 or scschroeder2@eiu.edu