Okay here is the thing. Why would we drop our masks right now?! I’m sorry, but it just doesn’t really make any sense to me. We have seven (currently, as I am writing this in first period) days of school left, and then we drop masks? 

I mean, the seniors have already left, so they just went through their entire year with masks. Senior year is something you were supposed to look forward to, and then they had to go through their entire year with masks. Don’t get me wrong though, I am super excited to not have to be wearing masks, but I just think it was kind of pointless at this point. I mean, COVID is still a thing, and I know it’s not going anywhere, but only so many people are vaccinated, and that isn’t going to protect most of the student body. 

Kids around our age are only just getting allowed to get the first dose, but there are some kids that aren’t getting it at all. For me personally, my parents and I have had this discussion multiple times, and we just don’t think the time is right to get the vaccine. We haven’t got the vaccine yet just because we don’t know the long-term effects. We have brought up the idea of what could happen when I’m older, and we don’t want to have other complications caused by side effects. The vaccine is still up in the air so much. Once I know the possibilities of what the vaccine can/could do, I would love to get it! I want to keep myself and others as safe as possible. Like if someone were to ask me to put on my mask, I would do it in a heartbeat. If someone doesn’t feel safe or comfortable with me not wearing a mask, I feel like it is just my civil duty to put one on. I’m sorry, but it does not matter if you don’t want to wear a mask. You have to do what other people around want you to do. Personally, my number one goal is to make sure everyone around me is safe and comfortable, while also feeling safe and comfortable myself. 

I also feel like there are just too many high-risk people here, myself included…sort of. I have had breathing problems since I was a little kid, and if I were to get COVID, there is a chance that I possibly couldn’t breathe at all. Not to mention we have two pregnant women here at the school. We need to make sure that they are always feeling safe. I know for me, when I walk into French class, I am going to be putting on my mask, because I want Madam McCabe to feel safe, and I want her unborn child to also stay safe. If she contracted COVID-19, it could really harm her and her (emphasis on) unborn child. Same with Mrs. Yoder. She is 8 months pregnant and is already gone every Monday because she is just so high risk. I think it is almost unfair to put these two teachers in this position. I highly encourage you to wear masks in these two classes for their safety, and also their child’s safety. 

In all honesty, though, I am being a little bit of a hypocrite right now. As I am reflecting over the day (I am currently now writing this at the end of the day), I realized I never once wore my mask (besides in French class). I mean, I guess I’m happy that we don’t have to wear masks. No one enjoys wearing a mask. But I just think that the timing of the mask drop was pointless. But really, I didn’t really find much difference other than actually seeing people’s faces and hearing them just a little bit better. I still sit next to the same people, at the same distance. I’m still doing the same projects and papers that I was doing yesterday. I feel like wearing masks the rest of the year would have just been a way better option than just dropping them for 7 days.