SuppliedThere are two types of people on campus: those who wear masks as much as they can, and those who find any reason to avoid it.
While I was excited to return to campus, I was expecting to return to in-person learning safely, surrounded by students wearing masks. However, the university has since dropped the mandate and you no longer have to wear a mask on campus, or anywhere else in the province besides transit.
Nothing is more annoying than finally finding a spot to study in the Students’ Union Building (SUB) or the Central Academic Building (CAB), sitting down, and noticing the person next to you isn’t wearing a mask. If you’re eating, or taking a drink, by all means, take off your mask. That’s perfectly reasonable.
The problem is that these students are often doing every activity but eating or drinking. I remember once sitting in the Humanities Center when I saw someone sitting, holding an apple. At first, I wasn’t annoyed at all. Until 20 minutes later, when I noticed that they hadn’t taken a single bite. They were literally using their apple as a prop to avoid wearing the mask — what is the point of that?
If you were on campus during the Fall semester, you definitely saw people like this. The lengths they would go to avoid putting on their masks for extended periods of time was impressive, albeit annoying.
Everyone can agree that masks are irritating, especially if you’re studying for hours on end. Your ears get sore and your mouth gets all sweaty. However, that’s not really an acceptable excuse. Masks are there to protect you and those around you from COVID-19. If wearing a mask is so life-altering that you can’t wear it for a few hours, don’t come to campus, or stay for less time. It’s that simple. Or better yet, actually eat or drink something instead of pretending!
The return to school is always anxiety-inducing, but this time it has been far worse. Even though COVID-19 cases were plateauing, hospitalization numbers have remained high. The provincial government will has repealed the mask mandate and the vaccine passport program. Since there are no other protections left in place for us, it’s crucial that U of A students wear their masks as much as they can. At this point, we should all be used to it.
Half-wearing your mask isn’t acceptable either. If you’re going to wear it partly, you might as well go the extra mile and just wear it properly. What is the point of wearing your mask under your chin or nose? At that point, you’re wearing something that’s already uncomfortable and on top of that, you’re not even protecting yourself! Wearing your mask like this not only looks goofy, it also does nothing.
If wearing masks irritates your skin, or stresses you out, there are plenty of ways to decompress. The weather has begun to warm and taking a maskless walk outside can help ensure you’re staying safe and sane during this trying time.
If students aren’t fully committed to wearing masks, the pandemic won’t end as soon as we would like. Even if you don’t like it, wearing a mask helps keep us all safe and allows us to learn in-person safely.
Don’t look a fool on campus — wear your mask!
