NIKKI INDELICATO
Assistant Life & Arts Editor
On March 3, 2022, President Stephen Kolison announced in his weekly email to all students and faculty that the mask mandate on SUNY Fredonia’s campus would be lifted. Starting on Friday, March 4, masks would be optional for individuals who were both fully vaccinated and boosted.
However, he also added, “SUNY strongly recommends masks indoors for anyone who has not submitted documentation showing that they are fully vaccinated (including those with approved exemptions) or for anyone not boosted.”
With this news, there have been mixed reactions among the student population about whether they will decide to keep wearing masks or if they will decide to go without them. Within the last few days, students have been split nearly down the middle when deciding whether to wear their masks indoors or not.
On Feb. 28, The Leader (@leaderfredonia) asked its Instagram followers via poll: “Do you think students and faculty should still be required to wear masks inside buildings?” The results: 60% (72 votes) voted “yes” while 40% (42 votes) voted “no.”
On March 5, The Leader asked its Instagram followers via poll: “Now that the mask mandate has been removed for fully vaccinated and boosted students and faculty, will you continue to wear a mask?” The results: 57% (56 votes) voted “yes” while 43% (42 votes) voted “no.”
“I am boosted and as someone who was a senior [in high school] during COVID, not having to wear one feels freeing,” said Mackenzie Waite, a sophomore theatre arts and French double major.
“The cases are low and it seems low risk,” said Shelby Pietron, a freshman theatre arts major.
While some see the recent mandate lift as a sign that the pandemic is finally coming to a close, others wish the school would continue to proceed with caution before allowing masks to be optional.
“I am getting a little bit nervous about lifting [the mask mandate], but depending on how it goes, I will take it day by day,” said Ethan Tozer, a freshman theatre arts major.
“I will still be wearing my mask around big groups of people. If I am in a small group with people I trust, then it’s a different story,” said Rae Wieser, a freshman childhood inclusive education major.
On March 5, The Leader asked its followers in an open-ended question on Instagram about their opinions on the removal of the mask mandate. Many users expressed concern over COVID-19 cases spiking and wished the campus waited to remove the mandate after spring break.
Some of the users who were in favor of the mandate removal didn’t express their views from the question, but the results from the poll revealed that many were in favor.
One user replied with, “If they’re going to lift it at all, it shouldn’t have been right before break.”
Another user said, “Nice, because of glasses, but I’m nervous that there’s going to be an outbreak.”
Another follower added, “Selfish and it doesn’t consider the needs of immunocompromised students.”
A follower also predicted the mandate will be reinstated sometime soon after the spring break when everyone is off campus.
“I don’t know how the mask mandate will affect the college yet, so to be safe I will keep mine on,” said Wieser, “Until I see results that cases haven’t gone up with everyone’s mask off, then I will take off,” she continued.
Many students do agree with the policy SUNY set in place that people should be both fully vaccinated and boosted for the mask indoor policy to be optional.
“It could lead to cases spiking, but we could see how it goes,” said Pietron.
If cases continue to stay low, more students may find comfort in removing their masks indoors. But for now, it is up to the individual to decide whether they will continue to wear their masks on campus.