With the new COVID-19 restrictions, all KO students and teachers are required to wear a mask during school. There are several types of masks, including surgical masks, fabric masks, athletic masks and more, each of which have both pros and cons. Walking around KO, one will see people wearing all of these types of masks; however, some are more common than others.
When asked what his favorite type of mask is, eighth-grader Ryan Wang said that his favorite is an athletic mask from Amazon, which he wears most often. “It’s very highly rated and it’s good because it’s reusable, breathable, comfortable, and soft,” he said.
Most people have similar criteria for a mask, especially since they are required at all times throughout the school day. “I found it much harder to wear a mask the entire day at the beginning of the school year versus now,” eighth-grader Jessica Mulligan said. “I think I’ve adjusted, and I’m much more used to having it on all the time.”
Wearing a mask can be especially hard for teachers. “It’s not even the actual wearing of the mask anymore, it’s how difficult it can be to teach and talk through it,” English teacher Kyle Chapman said. Besides during lunch, one of the few other times wearing a mask isn’t mandatory is during mask breaks. They each last 15 minutes and take place outside between each class. Each form has a designated space, and students are allowed to remove their masks if they are six feet apart from one another.
“I do find mask breaks helpful because first of all, you get to be outside, get fresh air, and you don’t have to wear a mask, and also because it’s a break from school and a chance to refresh before your next class,” Jessica said.
There can also be more unusual struggles to finding and wearing a mask. “I think when I was looking for a mask, I just searched up on Amazon ‘beard masks’ or ‘masks for beard’ because I really needed it to be big enough so that it would be comfortable and not pull on my ears too much,” Mr. Chapman said.
Overall, although wearing masks can be difficult, most students and teachers would agree that it’s a small price to pay to be back in school this year.
