Classes at Warren Township High School are back in person, and masks are required. 

Some students have found this in school mask mandate a challenge. In hallways and in classrooms students struggle to keep their masks on, or wear them correctly.

Several cases of COVID-19 have come up at both Warren campuses, so masks are important with these happenings. Some other factors could have to do with these cases as well. 

Because Warren is such a big school, there are many students and staff within close proximity, and spacing in classrooms and hallways can be a challenge. This is another big reason why masks are so important.

Anywhere people are walking in the hallways, there are always students with masks not all the way on, below their noses, or just completely down below their face. This brings up concerns for the safety of students and staff in the school.

According to the US National Library of Medicine, Masks aren’t 100% effective, but they still give a large amount of protection. When students fail to follow the mask rules, it erases that protection for them as well as people around them.

If this behavior continues, it could have consequences. School could go back to how it was before with the hybrid schedule, or the remote learning schedule.

Jazmine, a junior at Warren, doesn’t think that “we’ll be completely remote, but I really hope we stay in school.”

She wants to be in person, and is staying optimistic about it.

Katherine, another junior, thinks that it’s hard to tell what will happen to learning in the future, but if COVID-19 cases keep coming up in the school it’s a possibility we could go back to learning at home.

Though there are lots of students in Warren who are disobedient of these rules, there are still many students who follow the rules and wear their masks properly.

Katherine personally doesn’t find it difficult to wear her mask, but feels that other students who struggle are just being careless.

If students struggle to wear masks, a mask break during the day may be a good idea.

Alexandra, a senior, thinks that a good thing the school has done was a walk during lunch for a mask break.

Masks are important, but so is distancing.

Alexandra says “Some of my classes that have more students feel a bit cramped, but most of them are alright.”

The CDC recommends at least three feet of space in between students in school. Some classes aren’t following these guidelines because of an abundance of students in the room.

The conditions at Warren related to COVID-19 aren’t perfect, and students have different opinions on all of it. All in all, it’s important that the Warren community as a whole works hard to keep students and staff safe.