Masks are required to be worn while in the school building unless eating or drinking. In classes, students can be seen with their masks down under their nose knowing it is not allowed. Some students believe masks are a distraction from learning, others do not mind as much. 

Principal Rick Rivera, along with other staff members, have not had many problems with students fighting back to wear their masks correctly, Rivera believes students pulling their masks down is their own way of pushing back. 

“I don’t think students have fought a ton, I don’t know that it is abnormal for the amount of students that we have had to remind that they need to wear them appropriately. I think just like most things when we start having students do certain protocols that are different, that that’s their way of pushing back,” Rivera said.

Senior Payton Haskell is ready to attend school without masks. Haskell does not understand the point of wearing masks with the quarantine rule that is in place. 

“The way I see the whole situation is that no matter what, if I’m sitting next to someone that tests positive, I’m going to have to quarantine with or without a mask,” Haskell said.

Sophomore Kiersten Lowe wants her teachers to know she needs to breathe before telling her to put her masks back on.

“I wish they knew that I need to be able to breathe and that sometimes I just need a little break from my mask,” Lowe said. 

History teacher Rick Hess expects to have masks gone half way through the year 2021. Hess does not mind masks not covering the nose as long as our loved ones around us are safe. Although he doesn’t mind, Hess makes sure his students have their masks on correctly throughout the school day.

“It doesn’t bug me personally. It’s just a matter of keeping each other and our families safe,” Hess said.