Since around April 2019 society as a whole has had to dawn masks in order to reduce the amount of Covid 19 cases. Now in 2021 there are some who have become accustomed to them and others who still have grievances with them.
OA senior Cayleigh O’Connell stated “At this point in the pandemic It (wearing a mask) feels pretty second nature.” She would then continue by saying she enjoys wearing a mask. “I do like wearing a mask because it helps hide a lot of my face during days when I look rough… I do like the idea of normalizing wearing masks as well as they help stop the spread of the common cold. It makes me feel safe in public settings.”
Lauren Kelly, another senior of OA, had similar things to say about wearing masks in the school setting. “I don’t mind wearing a mask, I actually like that it helps hide any facial blemishes. The only time it really bothers me is when I’m going up the stairs and It’s hard to get a breather. Due to the new variant, I think it’s important for people to stop worrying about their freedoms and just wear their masks.”
Cayleigh wasn’t the only person with something to say, as Reyna Roach reached out to give her take on the topic of wearing masks.
Reyna would go on to say “When masks were first mandated, I did not mind them. They were a great tool to help stop the spread of the Covid pandemic. Now that we have had them for almost two years, I am honestly a little sick of them.” However she would make sure it’s known that she is very in support of wearing masks. “especially with the new delta variant it is important to keep wearing our masks while inside or at large public events. I enjoy keeping myself and my community safe, and masks protect you not only from Covid, but from basic germs and viruses as well.”
Other students also feel comfortable wearing masks after all this time, but that doesn’t mean everyone likes the idea of having to wear one, even if they have been vaccinated.
OA senior Wesley Tower told me “For the time being I’m okay wearing a mask, when only 50% of the school is vaccinated. However once it gets to around 75% we should have the ability to take them off if we want to.”
Though he would tell me he had no grievances with students who weren’t vaccinated. When asked if schools should be allowed to force students to wear masks he had a strong stance on the subject.
“I see both sides to the issue, but I lean more towards schools shouldn’t be allowed to force someone to wear a mask. It should be a choice just like getting the vaccination itself, I have a lot of friends who aren’t vaccinated and that’s okay because its their choice.”
Seniors are not the only ones with an opinion on this matter. OA sophomore Anthony Stone had some qualms about wearing masks. “My comfortability with a mask is as minimal as it can possibly be. I constantly feel like I have sandpaper cloth rubbing against my face. It makes me feel like I can’t breathe and causes me extreme discomfort.”
Anthony does understand its importance and wears his mask when necessary. “I know why we have to wear them and I agree we should have to. I actually like wearing them to a certain degree because I don’t always like showing off my face especially in the morning.”
Students seem to have a very similar consensus on masks as a whole. With few people opposing wearing them at OA. Masks don’t just affect the students, they also affect the staff at OA.
When asked about students, complying with masks Mr. Flanagan stated “I have not had to make an office referral for a student not complying to wear a mask. I have had to have conversations with some to make sure that they wear them appropriately where their nose and mouths are covered and those students understand and have complied.”
“The students have been great about wearing masks. I have not had one student refuse to wear a mask.”
Mr. Flanagan
It’s safe to say that Oliver Ames seems to be on the right track when it comes to fighting back against Covid 19, and regaining some sense of normalcy.