CARBONDALE (WSIL) -- While many SIUC students, faculty, and staff are enjoying their spring break, mechanical engineering graduate student Harshitha Punna is on campus working.
"I have a deadline in two weeks, and I'm not sure if the deadline is going to be extended because of this, but I have to keep going with my work," she explains.
SIUC leaders announced Wednesday that they're extending spring break to give faculty time to convert in-person classes into online courses.
"This is really about social distancing, about keeping people apart, keeping large crowds apart," explains SIU spokesperson Rae Goldsmith.
Student worker Hawa Fahnbulleh understands the move.
"It's better to be safe than sorry, even though you know not a lot of people are dying from it."
In addition to curriculum changes, major events on campus have also been cancelled.
"We are canceling effective immediately any planned events over 25 people, and even those smaller events, we encourage them to practice social distancing," says Goldsmith.
The cancellations include an event with Ken Jennings and the university's 150th anniversary gala.
It's a financial hit on local business owners.
Cristaudo's co- owner, Leah Maciell tells us, "We do an awful lot of catering for SIU. We already are on some cancellations, so that's definitely going to affect our business side of things with all of those cancellations. And we do have a student population who comes into our restaurant a lot too, so those would definitely affect our business."
As for students like Punna, she says prevention is a good thing, but she hopes it doesn't keep her from graduating.
"I have to submit this. If I don't submit this, I will have to extend one more semester which is, like, worse."
