Since the whole world went into an unexpected lockdown almost two years ago, it has been a rollercoaster of emotions for all of us. When COVID-19 hit the United States, nobody really knew how to handle the situation. At the time, it was best for all of us to practice social distancing and wear a mask to prevent the spread of the virus. Our world has seen a lot of major improvements since the virus first became an issue two years ago. With people getting vaccinated, and the drastic change in cases since March of 2020, many countries have decided to lift their mask mandate. 

Before the state of Illinois even considered going mask optional, states like Iowa and Texas have lifted their mask mandate months ago. Many people have experienced getting Covid at some point in these past two years whether it was the first variance, or even the new Omicron variance. Despite Covid still being a prominent issue, many countries and states that are not mask optional wish to feel a sense of normality again. Galena Superintendent, Tim Vincent, believes that lifting the mask mandate will bring a more positive mindset into the Galena School District. “I strongly agree with lifting the mask mandate,” he said. However, there is a court case that could potentially hold Illinois back for lifting the mask mandate. “Unfortunately, we have to wait until the court case gets passed in order for us to take the next steps,” said Vincent. 

The court case that takes place on Wednesday, February 16th will determine if students in Illinois will be able to go to school without a mask. For the students and teachers in Illinois, it would be a miracle for us to be able to go back to normal because it has not been an easy two years for any of us.“Galena has been lucky, the biggest thing that keeps our school together through this difficult time is making sure that there is enough staff to come into school every day. With that, the kids and the staff have done everything they need to make sure that they are doing their jobs. They have done a great job going through this because it isn’t easy,” said Vincent.

The final decision of Galena going mask optional depends on the ruling of the state court case that will take place this month. If this case goes the way people envision it, this will truly make people remember what life was like back before Covid existed. Wearing masks is a very controversial topic because either people love it or they hate it. “I hate wearing masks, but it’s something that we have to do right now. I am ready to put my focus on the teachers being able to do their job, without having to worry about Covid interfering with it,” said Vincent. The biggest goal for the Galena School District is to keep pushing through this because it certainly is a challenge that all of us are going through right now. It would truly be wonderful for us to be able to experience life without wearing masks and worrying about getting Covid.