If the degree to which online school sucks is not enough to make you desperate to go back, this is not the article for you. Canvas keeps crashing, YouTube does not teach like teachers can, and everyday feels like one long homework session. If people want to go back to school and stay that way, masks are a must. Wear the mask because personal convenience does not trump others safety, masks are effective in other countries, and they cannot be ruled out as “ineffective” until people actually make the effort to try. 

Most people will not argue that masks are pretty uncomfortable. They are hot and sweaty and constricting. However, sometimes people have to do things that are uncomfortable. The risk of cases going up and spreading should be more offensive than the risk of an individual feeling inconvenienced. If the mask is uncomfortable, invest in a nice one that fits your face, feels breathable, and is attractive enough that wearing it doesn’t feel like a chore. One cannot expect maximum comfort out of a fifty cent mask, and while cheap masks can be effective, if comfort is the number one priority, splurge a little. 

The science behind masks is debated whether or not one side is more publicized than the other. Even if it is not airborne, wearing masks prevents contact between surfaces with corona-infected droplets from making contact with the face. In Japan, masks alone were extremely effective even without social distancing. South Korea had a similar experience. Germany contained cases very well, and they had a nation-wide masks mandate that helped keep the flare-ups to a minimum. Whatever the reason may be for not wanting to wear the mask, do not let it be that it does not work. In other countries, when the majority was devoted to wearing the mask, effective change and relief came soon after.  

Finally, basic science knowledge is helping out with this one. If America has yet to actually put forth 100% effort into wearing a mask, we cannot rule it out as an option. There are people who have said no to masks from the beginning because they are ineffective. How can we say that? We haven’t even tried to a degree that would prove that theory to be correct. If you are convinced they do not work, wear the mask and if cases do not go down, then you can say you were right. 

If the idea of wearing a mask enrages you, there is probably a different issue at hand. We are all confused, upset, stressed, etc, and picking fights over something so small as a facial covering is not going to help. If wearing the mask is really that bad, stay home. Quarantine yourself. Best of both worlds. 

Overall, each grade level wants to have their freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior years. If people dying is not enough to make the mask wearable, maybe the desire to come back to school is. Be considerate, be kind, and be safe. It is a scary time, but fighting over a piece of fabric is not going to make it less scary.