The pandemic that hit us two years ago feels like an eon in the past. Humans are naturally adaptive creatures, and we have proved this by semi-enduring the pandemic thus far. People have found ways to prevent the spread of the disease, such as wearing a mask or social distancing but, some have decided that enough is enough and want to go back to our old ways of living. Some administrators at the University of Mississippi have decided that wishing away this pandemic is much easier than fighting it while it still rages on. Recently, the university announced that it no longer requires masks within classrooms, preferring to let students be exposed to a rapidly mutating virus rather than letting students be uncomfortable for a few hours.
Just last semester, I found myself writing a similar story, stating that the university should require students to wear masks in class as well as at football games. I never thought, however, that the university would entirely take away the mask mandate this school year. The removal of this safety measure is irresponsible beyond measure. Thanks to the continuously forming and mutating variants, COVID-19 numbers are still a cause for concern, yet some people at the university wish to ignore the pandemic until it goes away. Although most healthy students seemingly have little to worry about, many professors do. It is no secret that COVID-19 has a more fatal impact on the elderly, and many professors and staff members on campus fall under this category. Just recently, I have had professors forced to cancel class or hold class online because they contracted COVID-19. Thankfully, none have had life-altering effects thus far, but who can guarantee that a different professor will have the same fate?
Additionally, not requiring masks shows just how little the university acknowledges its immunocompromised and disabled students. Throughout the pandemic, immunocompromised people have been disproportionately impacted and may have a higher risk of catching the virus. These students must now face the risk of catching a potentially life-threatening virus or must give up their education to protect their life.
The fact that the University of Mississippi has stopped requiring masks is irresponsible at best and downright dangerous at worst. There is no harm in requiring masks until the end of the semester, but those in the Lyceum could not wait that long. Now, students will be able to spread COVID-19 after returning from their spring break travels with not even a shred of fabric for protection. If the university truly cared about students, they would care enough to still require students to wear masks and keep the student body healthy and safe.
Willow Crosby is a sophomore majoring in accounting from Tupelo.
