Hofstra goes mask-less as COVID-19 numbers decrease
On March 2 New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the end to the mask requirement within K to 12 schools. Hofstra University plans to change its mask policy leaving the decision up to the students. /// Photo courtesy of Matt Blume.
In a statement released by Hofstra University, President Susan Poser wrote a message to the student body about the new mask guidelines. The message stated that masks will become optional in all university facilities starting Monday, March 7. This comes as the final phase in a tiered plan to slowly lift mask mandates across campus.
In a two-year long pandemic, students have felt that masks have changed the way we communicate.
“[Mask wearing] definitely had an effect on social interaction, like facial expressions. I think facial expressions are huge. They're a huge part of communication, like being able to understand people's emotions,” said Morgan Serkes, a first-year graduate student in the school counseling program. “I'm happy and excited to see all my classmates' smiley faces again for the first time in two years.”
However, not all students are as excited as Serkes with the University’s decision.
“I don’t think it's very wise. From a logical and scientific standpoint, I think we're moving way too fast,” said Alexis Vega, a junior forensic science and drama major. “The reason why we're having such lower cases is not only because of the vaccine mandates, but because of the mask mandates and the social distancing policies that we have.”
Martine Hackett, an associate professor in the department of population health and director of the master of public health program, looks to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the force behind this decision.
“The decision to make mask-wearing optional in classrooms and in common settings on the campus is informed by the decisions that were made by the CDC last week,” Hackett said. “In New York state, the restrictions for mask-wearing for students from K-12 have also been removed. I think the decision by President Poser to extend this to Hofstra’s campus is really a part of other decisions that have been made on the federal and state level.”
In Dec. 2021, the Omicron variant spiked cases across the United States and started its decline in the New York metropolitan area in late January of this year. After the recent variant spike, many are still wondering why this decision was made so soon, as data is still being processed.
“One of the things that we can say is that the positivity rates now for COVID actually are lower than they were at the beginning of this year, but they're still actually higher than they were from last summer,” Hackett said. “I think what we are seeing is that, with this sort of the change in focus, we also have a change in how we are defining whether or not [cases] are increasing or decreasing.”
With this decision, equity among students and faculty has become a rising topic.
“I don’t think this provides access to immunocompromised students,” Vega said.
The surrounding areas are also impacted by this decision.
“The village of Hempstead, where Hofstra is located, during the height of the pandemic had high rates not only of infection, but also of death; we see that this has disproportionately affected communities of color in Nassau County and in New York City and across the country,” Hackett said.
Within the town of Hempstead, Garden City and Hempstead are seen as very different places.
“Hofstra University is very much seen as being separate and isolated from the village of Hempstead, both from outside of campus and when you're on campus,” Hackett said. “There can often be those sort of stereotypes that are sort of generated by actually not interacting with the [community members]. I think what we have to recognize is that we need to be able to break through it and to be able to recognize that there are ways that we can help and support each other more.”
Regardless of your stance, this decision could have big impacts and future ramifications. If successful, Hofstra will be one step closer to returning to normal. For many, this decision speaks to the character of the university’s administration.
“I think, unfortunately, a problem that I see at this university a lot is that people, for lack of a better term, only think about themselves and only think about how something will affect them, and how something is in relation to them,” Vega said. “I think that can be a very detrimental way of thinking,”
In addition, Vega believes this is not only a health issue but a morality issue as well.
“At an institution that prioritizes in-person learning and has kind of lifted the social distancing mandate, you have to care about other people,” Vega said. “You kind of have to at least be conscious about other people and other people's needs.”
Some students think the university’s decision to make masks optional was based on preference.
“I'm happy that we're given the choice to whether or not we choose to wear one. I think it's a personal decision,” Serkes said. “So whether or not someone chooses to continue masking or not, it's a no-judgement kind of thing.”
