Students and Staff Speak About Recent Lifted Mask Mandate

By Khaleeda Dawood

March 1, 2022

(Colonie, NY) On Sunday, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the state’s school mask requirement in schools will be lifted, effective March 2. As of that date, masks will be optional for students, faculty, school staff, and even visitors.

It will be the first time in 18 months that students in New York will have the option to leave their masks at home.

Some students and staff of the South Colonie School District have concerns about the mask mandate being lifted too soon given the spike in COVID-19 cases after last winter break, fearing that this might occur again.

Colonie teacher Thomasa Nielsen stated that she would have waited the full week after February break to see what happens. Neilson explains that despite cases dropping, many have been using at-home tests and don’t report it to the department of health, leaving the actual number of cases to be undetermined.

“I'm not actually worried about me, I'm really more worried about little kids and people who are more immune-compromised,” says Neilson. For that reason, she will continue to wear a mask, for the protection of both herself and others.

Neilson explains that this is now a decision that students will have to make for themselves, and she will respect their choice either way. And while Neilson will be wearing her mask, she says she is ecstatic to see some of her students' faces, as she hated not being able to see their smiles.

Senior and athlete, Rachel Garzone says that she will continue to wear it for her safety, worrying that the timing of this might not have been good, given that students just came out of the break.

Garzone said she recalled the vast amount of students who “dropped like flies” after winter break due to the virus. She explained how uncomfortable she felt then and how she would like to avoid anything similar now.

Senior Jenna Noguera says she has conflicting thoughts about the mask mandate lifting. She feels that they can be unnecessary in some instances and crucial in others.

After Wednesday, Noguera believes there will be an up-tip in COVID-19 cases, but not a large one since she feels everyone has built antibodies.

Whether an individual chooses to wear the mask or remove it, those interviewed agreed that it is our responsibility to respect the decision each decision one is entitled to have, especially in a school setting.

The virus has been a large endeavor for students and staff. Many are now euphoric, viewing the mandate lifting as a symbolic return to normalcy.