With the extended Easter weekend a day away, students and faculty members are preparing for the holiday break.
Students traveling home for the weekend will be flocking to the South Bend Regional Airport, busing to Chicago airports and loading up the trunks of their cars for the trip home. And for those who are staying on campus, the University provides a number of ways to celebrate Easter.
Some students are glad to be heading home for the holiday weekend - including freshman Mary Kusek, who will be traveling to Fond du Lac, Wis., to spend the Easter weekend with her family.
"I'm excited to be going home because Easter is the one holiday where my whole extended family gets together," Kusek said.
But with only two days off from school, traveling home is often time-consuming or expensive for students. Angela Amido, a freshman from Memphis, said she is staying on campus to avoid the hassle of making the trip home.
"I think that Easter at [Notre Dame] would be a really nice experience," Amido said.
For those who are staying, North and South Dining Halls will remain open for the duration of the break, though with a modified schedule. As they have been doing for all Fridays in Lent, both will serve a non-meat menu on Good Friday, while South Dining Hall will offer a special Easter buffet Sunday from noon until 4 p.m., complete with a traditional roasted lamb, hors d'oeuvres and a variety of desserts.
The restaurants in LaFortune will remain open for a small portion of the break. Burger King and Sbarro will be closed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and Starbucks will be closed on Saturday and Sunday. The Huddle Mart and Subway will be closed only on Sunday.
The Hesburgh Library will stay open for those students looking to get some work done over the holiday weekend. It will keep its traditional hours on Friday and Saturday, but will be closed entirely on Sunday.
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart offers several Masses to celebrate Holy Week. A celebration of the Last Supper will take place in the Basilica tonight at 5. On Good Friday there will be a celebration of the Lord's Passion in the Basilica at 3 p.m., followed later by the Stations of the Cross at the Basilica at 7:15. On Holy Saturday, the Great Paschal Vigil will be held at 9 p.m., and the week culminates with Easter Sunday Masses at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., noon and 9 p.m.
