By Chase Scherr chase.scherr@go.mnstate.edu

Effective as of March 4, 2022, students, staff and faculty at MSUM will no longer be required to wear their masks on campus grounds. The mandate also states that proof of a students’ vaccination status or testing will discontinue.

The school says they will continue to monitor numbers. Although students and staff are not required to wear their masks, the mandate could also be subject to change. But many students and staff are glad they can finally be able to attain a sense of normalcy yet again. 

“I’m happy about it,” freshman Cole Winkles said,. “I feel like now, hanging out with people in class, it’s nice to officially see people’s faces.” 

The move comes following the decrease in the number of COVID cases across parts of the United States. The states of Minnesota and North Dakota have both stated that they will possibly lift their mandates for masking, which enforced the wearing of masks in indoor public spaces, such as schools and restaurants. 

Many students say that unless things do happen to change, there is a chance that they will not continue to wear their masks in public. 

“It’s more fun to talk to people when you’re maskless, I feel like,” freshman David Avelsgard said. 

Other students were never opposed to the masks. Mainly wearing them as an extra protection for themselves and others around them. 

“Unless I have to wear it, I probably won’t wear my mask,” Winkles said. “It’s just nice to be able to see each other’s face” 

And while some students are thankful that they are able to officially see the faces of their friends and classmates, on the other hand, some students and staff are a little weary about having the mask mandate being lifted. 

“It might be a little too soon to lift it,” senior Caden Oltoff said. “There are still people dying from it, this pandemic is barely over and also considering this is the midwest, we have a higher number of older people.” 

Additionally, other students are worried that if they ever were to get Covid, they could also be risking their overall health. 

  “I’m a little nervous about it,” senior Jenna Christian said. “I’m immunocompromised so it affects me differently than other people.” 

Some of these students say they will continue to wear masks, despite the school’s no longer enforcing it. Either due to the protection of themselves or for the protection of family and friends. 

“If my grandparents would happen to get it, there is a chance that they could not survive,” Oltoff said. 

“In bigger public spaces, I definitely will,” senior Kaitlyn Niemeyer said. “Masks are definitely able to protect me more.” 

With the mandate being lifted and COVID numbers decreasing, students and staff can be thankful that they can be able to achieve a sense of normality in their daily lives. 

“Personally, this school has done such a good job with protecting students and staff,” said professor Ryan Stendler. “People can be officially thankful, I feel.”