Students in the Russell Union at Georgia Southern University collectively cheered Thursday morning when they received an Eagle Alert canceling classes Friday through Tuesday due to Hurricane Irma. The university sent the email and phone alerts to students at 11:30 a.m.

Residence halls on campus will stay open, but most university buildings will be closed through Tuesday. Also, the Dining Commons will be open each day from 8–9 a.m., 11 a.m.–2 p.m. and 5–7 p.m. All other dining facilities at the university will be closed.

Not surprisingly, many GS students said they were planning to leave after getting the notification that classes are cancelled Friday until Tuesday.

“I live in Statesboro. … I'm already home, but I might be leaving a friend's house outside of Statesboro. … I learned [from Hurricane Matthew] that don't stay in Statesboro, and this is going to be stronger than Hurricane Matthew, so I'll leave this time,” said Paul Allen, 19, of Statesboro.

Other students decided to go home at the insistence of their parents.

“I decided that I would go home for my mom's sanity,” said Allie Griffis, 20, of Eastman. “I think she would feel better if I just go home.”

There are also many international students who have to decide what they will do in light of cancelled classes.

“My roommates offered me to go to North Carolina, but I don't know if I'm going to do that,” said Nayeon Kim, 22, of Seoul, South Korea. “I think I'll be just fine staying here. I went grocery shopping yesterday. I went to get milk, but I was like, ‘What if we lose power and it goes bad?’"

Further information about Georgia Southern’s plans for the storm can be found at georgiasouthern.edu/alert. Information about grocery stores and gas stations can be found on the Bulloch County VOAD Facebook page.