As a Colorado Mesa University (CMU) student native to Denver, the difference in attitudes toward masks between the two regions is more than apparent. Rarely had I ever been anywhere in Denver other than my house without a mask; conversely, there have been very few instances in Grand Junction where I wore my mask without feeling like a plague doctor. 

With no end in sight of the pandemic, however, people have grown more defeatist and accepting of ‘imminent’ infection. While both Denver and CMU have a mask mandate in response to the Omicron variant, they are both set to expire on February 4th. 

Yet, it is crucial to the safety of our peers and the continuation of in-person classes that we continue to wear masks, to a greater extent than the current CMU rule demands. 

I may sound like a broken record, but it is essential to understand that stopping such a basic health precaution this early on in the nation’s recovery from Omicron will only lead to another spike in cases. Given that the variant has led to a higher national case rate than the first wave of the pandemic, how does it make any sense that we enact less safeguards than before?

Under Foster’s administration, masks in all indoor areas was the bare minimum among an array of other effective measures against COVID-19. The use of Scout to screen for symptoms and  social distancing in classrooms are no more this year, not to mention that masks were entirely optional last semester while other colleges began mandating vaccines. 

I certainly appreciate the sentiment of the reinstated mask mandate, though it feels as if the administration is only making this call to appear as if they are doing something. Because frankly, nothing tangible is being done to prevent the spread. 

If the health of students and providing an optimal setting for education is of any interest to CMU, the current mask mandate should not just be reissued, but much more thorough and meaningful in the grand scheme of things. 

With this current rule, masks are only required inside academic buildings, and for the first two weeks. As a consequence, students roam campus free of masks in massive hordes, from the UC to the library and all dining services without even breaking the rule. 

I would love to assume each respective horde to be a “Mavily,” but what college student do we really trust with so much social and ethical responsibility? So whether or not students wear their masks in class doesn’t really matter if they will go about all other parts of their life without a mask. 

The mandate may seem like a compromise between the sane and “anti-maskers,” but all this really does is compromise public health and validate unbased claims which subverts the dangers of an actual pandemic. 

Of course, I dislike wearing masks. They’re sometimes uncomfortable. It’s sometimes harder to hear people. And sometimes you can’t tell if a person is smiling or glaring at you. Really these all sound like the complaints of a toddler, and any sensible adult who knows wearing a mask saves lives will accept occasional discomfort for the safety of their peers. 

There does not seem to be a definite end in sight, and it’s no surprise considering so many people choose to deny and half-ass any attempts at eradicating this virus. Perhaps if we can manage to uphold basic pandemic precautions, even when it’s “not that bad” or “getting better,” this country will eventually see a future where nobody has to wear a mask.