ISU won’t cancel spring break next year despite COVID concerns

Posted on October 9, 2020
ISU does plan to have increased testing when students come back from break. (Photo courtesy: ISU/Facebook)

By Heart of Illinois ABC

NORMAL – Illinois State University won’t be canceling spring break next semester.

ISU floated the idea of calling off the break, scheduled for March 6 through 16, because there’s a greater risk of COVID-19 exposure while traveling and interacting with large numbers of people.

However, students, faculty, and staff responding to a university survey said they still wanted that break.

“An overwhelming number of survey respondents expressed that spring break is crucial to maintaining mental health, especially in challenging times,” administrators said in an email to the campus community.

ISU does plan to have increased testing when students come back from break.

The school is also working on offering the University of Illinois’ saliva-based COVID-19 test, which if approved by FDA could greatly increase ISU’s capacity to perform many more COVID tests with quicker results.

Much like the current semester, ISU administrators said most faculty and staff members will continue to work remotely, and a majority of courses will be taught in virtual environments.

However, there might be sudden changes to the the spring calendar due to the ongoing pandemic.

Heart of Illinois ABC can be reached at [email protected]. 

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…