According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, masks offer protection against COVID-19. They prevent particles from entering the respiratory tract. They protect people from contracting COVID-19, suitable for the immunocompromised or those who wish to safeguard themselves against the virus. 

But they also offer the unparalleled opportunity for self-proclaimed “mask police” (healthy, nosy adults who demand one wear a mask despite a distance of more than 6 feet) to enforce a “recommended” measure against healthy, fully vaccinated adults who are not afraid of the virus. 

One must understand that some people have just accepted the inevitable realization that COVID-19 is something that most people will catch and recover from. They are not afraid of catching the virus and do not want the virus to be an inconvenience that prevents them from enjoying normal life. 

We are certainly not in a severely critical moment of the pandemic right now.

Masks are an inconvenient accessory for these people. They prevent one from breathing freely, unobstructed by a mask. While they may prevent virus particles from entering the nose, they can also make it feel harder to breathe. 

Although scientists say that oxygen levels are not actually depleted when wearing a mask, some researchers have begun to acknowledge that the discomfort of wearing a mask and the anxiety it causes for some are also relevant concerns. 

Since Fordham has required all students and faculty who can to get vaccines and booster shots and most students are young, healthy individuals, I do not think that masking is necessary right now. 

In addition, cases in New York City are decreasing after the latest omicron surge, and while the risk is still there and we may continue to face new variants in the future, we are certainly not in a severely critical moment of the pandemic right now. 

On a personal note, I’m naturally claustrophobic, and wearing a mask just fuels my claustrophobia. I hyperventilate while wearing a mask, especially an N95, which only serves to make me nauseous.

Wearing a mask can also cause acne and other skin issues. Acne can stop me from booking modeling jobs. It is a major inconvenience to me and is getting in the way of a fruitful career path.

I am against the mandatory imposition of wearing a mask.

While I admit that those who wish to protect themselves from the virus are welcome to wear their masks, I am against the mandatory imposition of wearing a mask. 

The people who are not imperiled by the virus and do not wish to wear a mask should have the right to exercise this decision for themselves. They should not be shamed for making this decision by the “mask police.” 

If people wish to protect themselves from COVID-19, they can very well wear their own masks instead of enforcing a dictum that infringes on others’ boundaries.