We’re ready to take off the mask

Six feet from normalcy

Katherine Ely / Asst. Opinion Editor / The USD Vista

The enforcement of the mask mandate has benefitted in helping the world combat the COVID-19 virus. Since the start of the pandemic, the image of the mask has become symbolic of the barrier between the virus and the human instinct to be social. I believe it is a good time for USD to challenge the barrier and move toward removing the mask mandate.

According to a recent email sent to the student body, USD updated its COVID-19 protocols, stating that as of March 28, students will no longer be required, but are still strongly encouraged to wear face coverings in certain indoor locations on campus. The statement provided a list of places on campus where students are still required to wear face coverings, which are during in-person classes and labs, in Copley Library, the Student Health Center, on Torero trams, and when using other university vehicles.

Hearing that USD would be relaxing its mask mandate policy made me hopeful that we are one step closer to bridging the “six foot gap” that separates us from normalcy. I am all for the mask mandate being lifted and I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve dreamt of this moment several times over the past two years. Though USD only lifted restrictions in certain places on campus, this change could potentially mean we are nearing a time when masks no longer need to be worn at all.

I think USD’s updated mask policy is a step in the right direction: moving away from COVID dictating our lives. Since USD’s student body is on the smaller side, USD lifting its mask mandate is a great start because it is easier to control if numbers start to rise again. If there is a big enough increase in cases, then USD can always reverse the policy to control another outbreak from occurring. The stakes for risk of COVID numbers rising are low enough to make a difference without causing too much disruption on campus.  

Though I am ready to move on from the era of wearing masks, I understand it is going to be a painstakingly slow process. In the case of a global pandemic, where a large portion of the population is affected, the issues don’t just go away overnight. One thing I’ve learned from COVID is that adapting and adjusting to a pandemic is a process.

We have never experienced anything like COVID in our lifetime, and therefore a lot of how we choose to handle it is a trial-and-error process. For example, when COVID began back in 2020, schools had to decide how to combat a style of education for students, ultimately deciding that Zoom was the best approach. We do not know if this new updated policy will work. USD is simply testing the waters to see if our university is ready for change.

Some might argue that it is too early for us to take our masks off inside without there being the worry of COVID cases rising. However I feel that our campus is ready to be free of masks without the constant fear of becoming vulnerable to the virus. What I like about the policy is that it gives us a taste of normalcy. Only allowing masks to be worn in certain areas may sound limiting, but it is just enough freedom to show us what life could be like if the policy succeeds.

If the policy succeeds in upcoming weeks, one of the positive outcomes that will potentially arise is cohesion and unity amongst the student body. Soon enough we will be able to study in the library while seeing our friends and peers’ faces. It will also make facilitating conversation much easier because we are now able to see social cues for engagement.

If removing the mask mandate causes significant problems and COVID numbers start to rise, then USD can always return to the old policy. According to the San Diego County COVID-19 tracking database, numbers spiked in early January of this year, reaching a positivity rate of 12.6% in San Diego County. However, as of March 20, the positivity rate for San Diego County has reduced to 2.7%. Based on this trajectory, I have faith that USD’s decision to rework their policy will succeed because of its appropriate timing, and that sometime in the near future the restrictions will become even more lenient.

But I also see where this updated policy might fail to protect those most vulnerable to the change. My concerns for USD’s choice to remove the mask mandate are mostly because of who it puts in danger: those who are unvaccinated and older faculty members.

USD decided that for the 2021-2022 academic year it is required that students be vaccinated, with some exemptions allowed if they follow certain guidelines for the safety of the overall student body. Those who choose to remain unvaccinated are not only at risk for contracting the virus, but also risk spreading it to those they come in contact with outside of the university. Removing the mask mandate increases these risks, and could potentially raise the number of COVID cases on campus.

Additionally, faculty members who are older and might have health problems will be subject to sharing an unmasked space with one of the most unreliable age groups out there: college students. Whether we attended a concert with 200 people stuffed in a room together, or we visited a friend at a college in another state over the weekend, college students can typically have very social lives. Because of this, many college students run the risk of being exposed to COVID almost everywhere they turn. But because we are young and less likely to experience long term health complications, our exposure to COVID is significantly less dangerous as it would be to a sixty year old. By no longer requiring masks, what we are ultimately asking our professors to do is rely on the student body to remain safe.

Though at first I might have been a bit underwhelmed by the new policy on wearing masks on campus, only seeing that a few places would allow the change, I now realize that it is the start we need. I have been looking forward to the day when I no longer feel the need to wear a mask in public. My advice to you is to think back to a time when lifting the mask mandate was not a part of the foreseeable future, and to appreciate the change instead of focusing on the regulations still in place. As of now, I will take what I can get and see the glass as half full, because it is an improvement from last year, and even more from the year before. Each small step we take gets us closer and closer to the normalcy we all crave.