“Wow! That’s what your nose looks like?” 

We’ve all dreamed of a time where we don’t have to wear these nefarious masks. A time where we can actually see people’s mouths move — avoiding those frequent moments where we awkwardly nod to nondescript mumbling, pretending to understand. 

Since California officially lifted school mask mandates on March 15, that time has finally come.

Although there are some that consider the lifting of mask mandates to be premature, lifting the mandate was a necessary  move to improve the learning of students ​​— after all, we’ve been wearing masks for the past two years. Without masks, students can interact better with teachers, communicate easier with their peers and learn in a more proficient manner. 

Verbal communication is much more effective without masks, as according to the National Institute of Health, facial cues are extremely important to building meaningful conversations with peers. Additionally, masks can affect coherency and listening — factors that are integral for classes that teach a second language, like Spanish, in which pronunciation is especially important. 

Many teachers have also noted the effects that masks have on the development of elementary school students who are just learning English. According to Megan Powers-Dunn, a teacher who runs a child care center in Rancho Cordova, there has been a significant increase in behavioral and language issues for children when teachers teach in masks five days a week. 

However, in this mask-less academic environment, certain measures still need to be taken to mitigate risks. COVID-19 is not disappearing anytime soon. Like the flu, it will be a recurring illness that has the power to make lives miserable or worse. 

Even without the mask mandate, the school should still maintain its Screener-19 policies. Though admittedly a hassle for students to fill out every morning, students should still elect to be truthful in their responses, as Screener-19 is still an essential first check prior to arriving at school.  

Rather than speedrunning the familiar “no, no, no, yes” answers in quick succession, students should be honest about their health — if they have a sore throat or feel nauseous, they should remain at home (as they should have remained at home before the pandemic), even if they may not have COVID-19. 

Similarly, having students check in with Screener-19 for their first and second period classes is also helpful in contact-tracing, in case a virus outbreak does happen on campus. To maximize student safety, the district should keep offering its frequent opportunities to get PCR tested;  testing is now more important than ever to know if the virus comes roaring back or stays in check. 

Perhaps most of all students still have the choice to wear a mask, and most are choosing to do so. For those who are immuno-compromised, wearing masks still remains the best option. Accordingly, students should still be mindful of others and continue being careful. 

Ultimately, even in a time without masks, the same pandemic awareness and general sense of caution should still remain. COVID-19 is not leaving anytime soon.