This past week, the University experienced an increase in COVID-19 cases. While the case level on campus has remained at zero the majority of this semester, at least 18 students have tested positive as of Nov. 10. With the on-campus vaccine requirement and the indoor mask mandates that have remained in place since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve been able to experience more of a “regular” semester this fall. Now, because of the most recent spike, anxiety about a larger outbreak has settled over campus. If there’s anything to take away from these new cases, it’s that we must continue to be diligent about pandemic safety precautions that are proven to work. One way we can all do this is by wearing our masks again indoors socially when in larger groups and reminding ourselves that this is a long game. 

Masking up has always been controversial in the United States and for a moment there, we thought we were rid of them. We acknowledge that they’re not fun to wear on campus, they can be awkward in social situations. Now more than last year, many people are opting out of wearing them at indoor social gatherings entirely. After dealing with facial coverings for the past 18 months, it’s safe to say that we’re all tired of wearing masks. It’s been a confusing ride, too. For all of last year, we were required to wear masks in and out of doors, which has since changed with mass vaccination and more information about the virus. It’s absolutely glorious to be able to interact without masks outdoors.

However, if the past year and a half have taught us anything, it’s that we have to stay on our toes with this virus. Seeing how quickly the cases jumped on campus is a reminder that even with vaccines, our behavior has to continue to reflect the moment that we’re living in. Unless cases on campus decrease to the levels they were at before, we encourage people to return to wearing their masks indoors with people they’re not in regular contact with. While it might be uncomfortable or different from what people around us are doing, it’s way more awkward to have to tell your close contacts you’ve tested positive for COVID-19.

It is important to remind students that part of the reason why masks are so essential is that they protect the people around us, not just ourselves. Often, our professors might be older, immunocompromised, or might be parents to children who haven’t been able to receive the vaccine yet. We also interact on a daily basis with dining hall workers, maintenance and custodial staff, and other people on campus who work to make our lives easier. We attend classes and work in the library with students who have conditions that might make them more susceptible to COVID-19, or have higher risk roommates. It’s frustrating that some students can’t even bear to wear their masks fully, or even go without them in public spaces. The very least we can do is pull our masks over our noses while we’re in larger groups of people or interacting with staff members on campus. It’s difficult to comprehend why proper mask-wearing seems to be such a challenge for some on campus, but hopefully, the uptick in on-campus cases inspires people to put their noses away in public. 

Perhaps the most ironic example of this paradox on campus is in the Global Change and Infectious Diseases class the two of us have been taking this semester. A large portion of our class doesn’t wear their masks correctly. In a class taught by an older professor, about the worldwide impacts of infectious diseases (yes, we’ve learned about COVID-19), you’d think that students would be extra mindful about wearing their masks correctly. Our TA has even sent out classwide emails about appropriate mask-wearing, but some students still can’t seem to adhere to the class policy.

Maybe this sounds harsh, but it should be no surprise that if we reject the very behaviors that are designed to keep us healthy, we’ll see an uptick in COVID-19 cases on campus and around the country. We have to hold ourselves and our peers accountable if we’re ever going to move towards a more “normal” college experience. It’s a slog, but it’s a slog we’re all in together if we choose to be. Don’t get us wrong, we’re fed up with masks too, but we shouldn’t give up on them quite yet. 

Talia Rodriguez can be reached at tirodriguez@wesleyan.edu 

Talia Zitner can be reached at tzitner@wesleyan.edu