By Joyce Gong and Ani Belorian :
Since March 2020, the students at Belmont High, and students all over the United States and the world, have been required to wear masks in school. This all changed on March 8th, 2022, when the town of Belmont decided to lift the mask mandate, leading to varying reactions from students.
The Survey
We were interested in getting a general idea of how students at Belmont High felt about the new changes that were implemented. We asked students two (or more) questions regarding whether they believed masks should be mandated and how strongly they felt about it. Here’s what we found:
The Results
We found that the majority – 78.95% – of the students, whether masked or unmasked, felt that masks should not be mandated. Approximately 14% of the students interviewed said that they felt masks should be mandated in school. The overwhelming majority seemed not to care one way or the other.
However, we found it fascinating that the people who voted “yes” generally seemed to feel more strongly about their choice than those who said “no.”
A few people felt very strongly about their reasoning. For example, one student in favor of masks said that “the numbers are rising and media groups are trying to [pretend] that the pandemic is over, when in reality, it is not.”
On the opposite side of the spectrum, many students mentioned the idea of free will and said that students should have the freedom to choose whether or not to wear a mask. These students felt that ultimately the choice should be left to the individual and that they would respect others’ decisions, whether or not others decided to wear a mask.
Oddly enough, one phrase that recurred in discussions with people who said “no” was, “Unless there is a surge.” People thought that masks should not be required now, but if conditions worsen, then the mask mandate should be put back into place.
A Little Poetic Pause:
To wear, or not to wear, that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler on the face to cover
The sneezes and coughs of outrageous plague,
Or to take courage against a sea of faces
And by opposing (not) end them. To smile – to smize,
No more…
Liberty and Justice for Masks
The students informally surveyed said that their favorite masks were the following: black masks, floral masks, classic blue masks, KF-94 masks, black KN-95 masks, rainbow masks, and surgical masks.
Now, let us know what your favorite mask is! #unlesstheresasurge #tomaskornottomask