By ANONYMOUS
Staff Writer
Since March of 2020, masks have been an essential in our everyday lives. Whether we’ve gotten used to them or not, they continue to be in our lives a year and a half later. I remember at the beginning of the original quarantine, when we got an “extra two weeks off of school”, my family was still unsure about the dangers of COVID-19. When my mom needed to go to the grocery store a few weeks into quarantine, I asked if I could come with her if I wore a face mask. I thought wearing a mask was exciting and cool since I had hardly seen anyone wearing them yet. I never would have thought that they would become so prevalent in just a few months.
I honestly really dislike masks. It’s fine, I will wear one if I have to, but I would rather not for many reasons. First of all, the way it makes my skin break out angers me. Some teens would argue that they like masks because wearing them allows them to hide their acne from other people seeing. I would ask, “Isn’t the mask what’s causing the acne?” I also hate the way it conceals our emotions and words. How am I supposed to smile at people in the grocery store? How are people supposed to understand me when a mask is covering my face, when reading lips is a crucial part of understanding someone’s words?
Don’t even get me started on the dumb mask rules that the school district puts in place. The school would not allow the candidates on the 2021 Homecoming court, which took place a few weeks ago, to have an escort to campaign with since the school wanted to follow COVID-29 restrictions of social distancing. What doesn’t make sense is that 20 feet in front of the candidates at the football game was a full student section of 70 students standing shoulder to shoulder without a mask in sight.
I am not in any way trying to tattle on the student section, nor am I complaining about allowing fans to attend sporting events. I love getting to attend games like everything is normal and not have to wear a mask. What I am trying to make clear is the school district’s stupidity when it comes to COVID regulations. I play two sports. For both of those previous seasons we have been forced to “wear” masks. The school authorities tell us that we have to atleast have them on our face, however nobody actually keeps them covering their mouth and nose. I mean why would we? We are inside a stuffy gym, sweating profusely and heaving for our breaths when we play. Masks are also somewhat of a distraction so it’s frustrating to worry about masks when we are focused on the game.
What’s weird is that everything is completely fine as long as we have a mask on, even if it’s pulled down all the way and is not covering or protecting anything. The second we take the mask off is when we have a problem. It’s like the second we take it off (from being improperly worn anyway) everyone cares all of a sudden. Why does it matter if we take the mask off, especially if it was fine to wear it incorrectly a second before that? Wearing it incorrectly and not wearing it at all are literally the same thing, which is why I find the whole situation so lame.
The school district puts rules in place to make it seem like they care, when they really don’t. They try to make it seem like they are putting measures in place to be authoritative and in control of the situation when they are actually lazy and don’t want to put in the extra effort to deal with the problems.
I feel like we should get to choose if we wear masks. Those who don’t wear masks are theoretically putting themselves at risk to others so it should be their decision, even though they couldn’t get it from others because the others are wearing masks. The people who do wear masks couldn’t get it either since they have the mask to “protect” them from those who are unmasked. Don’t the authorities tell us that masks are scientifically proven to work and protect us? Then those who wear masks should not care whether those around them are wearing masks if the masked already are.
Especially if we are vaccinated or have had COVID already, we should get to choose if we want to. It’s frustrating that people forget about those who have had COVID when it comes to mask mandates. Do people not realize that getting the virus and getting the vaccine both give you antibodies? I have had both, COVID and the vaccine. The vaccine is supposed to protect us from retracting the virus, however we are still made to wear masks at school if we have gotten it. If the school district really cares about following COVID-19 restrictions, they should be strict about it, or else no one is going to take them seriously, like we do now.