To Mask or Not to Mask?

Prior to the new mask guidelines, students were skeptical about the rumors over the new lifting of restrictions. “I like the fact that they cover up most of your face… you don’t have to smile and there’s less human interaction,” Freshman Quinton Taylor jokes. Many students predicted a spike in Covid after the new guidelines were in place. Alongside the students, Ms. Fountain shared her discomfort in removing the mask mandate, “I feel a bigger responsibility to stay healthy because of having to find subs and also not to jeopardize the students.” Due to the lack of substitute teachers and teachers being more exposed to the disease, the new guidelines raise a lot of issues for the public school system. Despite concerns, the mask mandate was lifted on Wednesday, March 2. As of that date, masks were optional. After the five day weekend, unmasked faces flooded the highschool and middle school campus. In the first few days of optional masking, more students and staff kept them on but the numbers have been decreasing. Although a lot of students choose to not wear masks, about 20% of the student population decided to continue to wear masks for now. Junior Dillion Moss, has decided to wear two masks because of concerns for her family’s health. “It’s weird, I feel more comfortable than I thought I would,” Dillon says about remaining masked. She's skeptical about the new mask guidelines, “I do think it is a bit premature we should have waited ‘till the end of Covid or at least waited for the windows to be able to be opened and for warmer weather,” Dillon mentions. Freshman Horace Morel has decided to discontinue wearing a mask. After returning to school he was “expecting a lot of people to keep wearing masks,” so it surprised him to see so many students and faculty members deciding to not wear masks. “I feel safe without a mask,” says Horace. Since Horace is fully vaccinated and takes extra safety precautions in order to prevent himself from getting Covid, he isn’t worried about the new mask guidelines. Although Senior Aiden O’Neill wears a mask, they agree with Horace’s stance on mask use. “I don’t lean either way, I’m going to keep wearing mine regardless so it doesn’t affect me,” says Aiden. A large portion of those still wearing makes are the YOH theater kids and student athletes. Due to a fear of spreading the virus prior to their upcoming play, Three Musketeers, the YOH kids are choosing to wear masks. In addition, certain sports like hockey, required players to remain masked until the season was over. It’s been two years since the start of Covid. Could the new mask mandate be a sign of an end to Covid? Who knows. One thing for certain, masks being optional is a flash-back to the world before Covid.