I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you this, but we’re in the middle of a global pandemic at the moment. Many things on campus have changed to adjust for this, and several policies have been put in place to keep the student body safe. One of these policies is the requirement of all A-State staff and students to wear face masks or coverings.
This requirement hasn’t come out of nowhere. Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson put a statewide mask mandate in place on July 20, due to the increase of coronavirus cases and deaths. The mandate requires every person in Arkansas to wear a face covering in settings where they are exposed to people from outside their household and where social distancing isn’t possible. Violation of a directive from the Secretary of Health is a misdemeanor and is punishable by a fine of 100-500$.
Masks have been recommended in the U.S. since early April, as the death toll from coronavirus reached more than 7,000. The U.S. death toll has since climbed to over 180,000. As with all matters of public safety, however, there are those who refuse to follow the rules.
Anti-maskers, as they have come to be called, are people who refuse to wear masks in public for a variety of reasons: they think the virus is a hoax, they think the masks don’t work, they feel like wearing the mask is government control, or they just don’t care if they or other people get sick. Some make fake medical exemption cards, some buy masks made out of materials that don’t protect them (such as mesh), and some start fights in businesses where they are asked to leave for not wearing a mask. The worst offenders are often recorded and posted on social media.
A-State has a section of their website devoted to information about the coronavirus. One page, titled “Campus Compliance With Guidelines,” has a paragraph that covers using face coverings on campus, which reads:
“Students or employees at Arkansas State are required to use face coverings in all common interior spaces and when physical distancing is not possible. Per Academic Affairs guidelines, instructors in the classroom are required to use face shields or face coverings, and students in class are to wear face coverings. Lack of compliance is considered a violation of university health and safety guidelines.”
An email from Dr. Kelly Damphousse which was sent on July 22 states: “We are requiring that all students, employees, and guests wear masks when entering or exiting a campus facility, and when physical distancing is not an option. Students and instructors will be required to wear a face covering in class…Our instructors have the authority to remove students from their class if they refuse to wear a mask (we will provide instructors with spare masks to use in case students forget theirs). Students who refuse to wear a face covering are subject to a student conduct referral.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says you should wear a mask. The governor of Arkansas says they are mandatory. And the administration of this campus says that you can be reported to student conduct if you refuse to wear one. So no matter what your reasons are, you should just wear the mask.
From what I’ve seen on campus, everyone is doing a good job of keeping their masks on, though there are some who take them off once they leave a building. Aside from a few conservative students in the A-State student app who complained on August 19 that A-State was “forcing” them to wear masks, there haven’t been any protests or problems I’ve heard of so far. But in case you needed a reminder: the mask isn’t optional. Treat it like your A-State ID and keep it on you at all times.
Aside from the masks being mandatory, why should you wear them? Wearing a mask will prevent you from spreading the disease if you happen to catch it. It won’t completely prevent you from catching the coronavirus, but if everyone wears their mask properly then the chances of being infected decrease. By wearing the mask all the time, even if you are not infected, you are still helping to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and keep everyone on campus safe.
Categories: Opinion
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