How are Sophomores Feeling Now That Masks Are Optional?

On March 14, 2022, Elon lifted its campus-wide mask mandate that had been in place since the fall of 2020. For sophomores, they have not experienced a semester at Elon that has looked the same.  

We talked to five current sophomores (Ashley Joyce, Carolyn Phair, Karliegh Fisher, Alex Valuntas, and Jules Hallman) about their experiences with the masks and how it has impacted their time at Elon.

Now that the masks are optional, do you choose to wear a mask inside the buildings still? Why or why not?

Ashley: I do not wear masks inside the building because I feel like there is not a need. Not wearing a mask in class is the same as going out and hanging out with a bunch of people while not being masked or going into a public inside place and not wearing one, which I have done as class and the mandatory buildings are the only places that I wore a mask. 

Carolyn: I do not choose to wear my mask in buildings because I have been fully vaccinated and boosted as well as still have COVID earlier in the year so I feel protected.

Karliegh: I choose not to wear a mask because I feel like it makes me a better student. Without the mask I am able to be fully present in class. 

Alex: Personally, I choose not to wear a mask. I don’t think it is effective enough, and it also can impact people’s health when people wear dirty/used masks because they’re in a hurry or forgot.

Jules: I choose to no longer wear a mask indoors. It's nice to finally be able to see everyone's faces again. However, I obviously want to respect everyone else's personal decisions so I don't have a problem with wearing a mask if someone asks.

It is no secret that each semester since the fall of 2020 has looked wildly different in regards to the different types of restrictions that have been slowly removed…how has this shaped your social life?

Ashley: Since I started college while the pandemic was still at its peak, I found myself making a very close group of friends because we could not go out and socialize otherwise at the time. There was still the option of meeting a lot of people, but in a different way than before the pandemic.

Carolyn: Last year, it definitely made it hard to make friends and meet new people when we were encouraged to not really talk to people. I think last year my social life was very restricted to the people in my general vicinity. 

Karliegh: Last year especially I felt like it affected my social life because I couldn't really interact with others. It was almost like people were less social due to the mask. 

Alex: I think that right now, my social life is finally getting back on track. Despite this, I think a lot of students, especially freshmen last year, were more affected in an irreversible fashion.

Jules: The vast differences in each semester have greatly affected my experience at Elon. First semester as a freshman was incredibly difficult to adapt and meet friends. Looking back now I think I may have been in a very different place with my Elon experience now if COVID and the restrictions had not happened.

Overall, what are your hopes for the Elon community dealing with COVID-19 moving forward?

Ashley: I think the school has gotten a lot better at handling the pandemic than when I first came to Elon, which will hopefully continue to make the college experience the true college experience we all have been waiting for since we started.

Carolyn: I hope to continue this trend that we can have a sort of normal life and not have to worry about being masked and not being masked. I hope everyone gets vaccinated so that I don’t have to worry about possibly getting COVID and spreading it to others.

Karliegh: I hope that everyone continues to respect each other and be mindful of everyone else!

Alex: I hope that we all can move forward together and allow people to make their own choices without judgment.

Jules: I hope we continue to monitor the cases on campus, as I feel that has been the best way in making sure our community stays informed and safe.

Ultimately, each individual now has the opportunity to do what they feel most comfortable with as the pandemic is changing every day. For more information on Elon’s mask policy, visit the Healthy Elon website.  

Photo from Unsplash.