It was announced this past August that all Oakland County public schools would require grades K-12 to wear masks in school due to rising hospitalizations among children nationwide.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everyone, regardless of their religious or political beliefs. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has been promoting masks since the start, starting with healthcare workers and not long after moving to encouraging civilians as well. Using science, they help to limit the spread of the fatal virus; more than three million people have been hospitalized since August of 2020 and more than 700,000 have died.

On Friday, Sept. 10, students here at Milford High School held a walk out to protest the mask mandate. Our student body is split by individuals who don’t mind wearing masks and students who are adamantly against it. “There’s a lot of people on either side,” said Senior Emmaline Allen. Senior Bre Cleveland says, “The student body is definitely against it. I know most of my friends do not like masks.” Senior Norah Armijo said truthfully, “I think masks need to be required in schools to keep teachers and students safe.” Much like our society as a whole, opinions differ tremendously based on political ideology and influences from family and friends.

The next big question is: should vaccinated people be required to wear masks?  While the subject of wearing masks in general is very conflicted, this question was answered with an astounding “no” from all parties asked.

“I don’t think vaccinated people should be required to wear masks, but I can understand how it could be hard to track,” Cleveland said. To elaborate, it would be difficult to know which students are vaccinated and which are not, making things much harder on the staff here at Milford High.

While students may not all agree on the mask policy, many can agree to be respectful towards teachers and understand that they are not behind the declaration of the mandate, only there to enforce it. “Many kids in my classes are constantly needing to be told to put their masks over their noses,” says Armijo. Students blatantly disregard and disrespect teachers daily. Many teachers would agree with this statement. “It is very frustrating, but I just stay on them. I think it’s important we take care of each other, so this (wearing masks) is just one way we can do that,” said Milford math teacher Julie Mitchell.

If you feel the need to protest, do so in a respectful manner. Remember to be kind and courteous to your fellow students and superiors. But for the time being, with the Oakland County Health Department mandate, students must all remember to wear their masks while at school.