Students Express Opinions On New Mask Policy
Students are no longer required to wear masks in the hallways of academic buildings. (Photo Credit Aly Wein/The Gettysburgian)
By Sarah Laud, Contributing Writer
On Oct. 6 Vice President for College Life and Dean of Students Anne Ehrlich, and Executive Director of Human Resources Jen Lucas released a campus update to the community regarding COVID-19. The notification outlined the college’s COVID-19 status, protocols for the upcoming Reading Days and Family Weekend, and a new mask mandate on campus.
The email explained that masking is required for vaccinated individuals in classes, during indoor meetings and events, in Musselman Library, and in any public administrative office. Masks for unvaccinated students and faculty are still required in all indoor spaces.
Students offered various perspectives about the new mask mandates after the College released the policy.
Alex Wilson ’24 said that the masking protocol “should be more strict, but [the policy] makes sense because of the 90% vaccination rate.”
Speaking about the phrasing of the new policy in the email distributed to the Gettysburg College community, Natalie Vazquez ’22 said, “It is very confusing.”
Students also shared their concerns surrounding the timing of lifting the more restrictive elements of the masking protocol.
Sarah Hong ’22 said, “The fact that they changed [the policy] right before Reading Days and Parents Weekend is unnecessary. If anything, they should have done it after.”
Due to the influx of people traveling to campus for Family Weekend, indoor masking will return regardless of vaccination status beginning on Friday, Oct. 22 at 9 a.m., and lasting until Sunday, Oct. 24 at 5 p.m.
Because students, faculty, and staff have the freedom to choose whether they wear a mask in some indoor spaces, some people are continuing to wear their masks despite the recent changes.
“At first, I was uncertain about where masking was mandatory and where it wasn’t based on the email communication from the college,” said Cam D’Amica ’22. “I decided that I’d continue to mask up while indoors just to be on the safe side.”
