OPINIONS WWW.OBUSIGNAL.COM | PAGE 7
Conquering mask fatigue, continuing to live boldly BY LANGLEY LEVERETT
Arts/ Entertainment & Opinions Editor
Hitting pause on resposibility BY RACHEL SANSANO Staff Writer
Learning in college is typically centered around the internet. But especially this semester, many classes have relied heavily on technology. Which is great — until the Wi-Fi goes out. And Moodle becomes inaccessible. And the campus email shuts down. You might be wondering how you learn in classes that mainly rely on and require access to the internet when there is no Wi-Fi. The simple answer is that you don’t. But that’s okay. That weekend taught us things unrelated to the classroom, but still vital to our college success. We get so caught up in the digital world that sometimes it seems better than reality. Maybe it’s because we can hide from what’s going on in our lives, maybe it’s because it gives us an escape. Regardless of the reason, we all are guilty of being swept into the cyber sea. This absence of technology gave us a chance to hit the reset button.
It gave us a chance to connect in person with friends (while staying socially distant, of course). It gave us a break from homework and responsibility. So, what did everyone do with their free weekend? At first, I didn’t know what to do with myself. Eventually I figured it out. Some of the weekend’s adventures were surprising, and others were long overdue. Eating In the bottom of our suite’s junk drawer, we found a tiny waffle maker. I’m not sure who it belongs to, but we jumped at the opportunity to have semihomemade waffles for dinner. None of us are exactly culinary experts, but the waffles were edible. With some strawberries and Nutella on top, they’d give the cafeteria a run for its money any day of the week. Sleeping This one is self-explanatory. Sleep is a rare commodity for most college students, and napping is quite possibly in my top three favorite things to do at Ouachita. Enjoying the Lake I’m a big fan of the ocean. Always have been, always will be.
I love the waves and salty smell. It just makes me happy. That being said, the Wi-Fi outage gave me a chance to get acquainted with the lake life that is so popular in Arkansas. It took a little bit of convincing, but I can now see its appeal. Once you get past the muddy water and the snakes lurking in the background, it’s a great time. The lake is great, but I’m still partial to the ocean. If I had my choice, I’d much rather face a shark than a snake. But maybe that’s just me. A common theme this semester has been stress. I know stress levels are high every year, but this semester seems worse. So many of us, myself included, were stressed when we were unable to turn in assignments or reach out to professors to ask for help. Sure, breaks from homework are great, but now that everything is (almost) running again, we’re drowning in it. But on the bright side, hopefully a weekend without Wi-Fi gave you time to breathe, which might be the most important lesson you learn this year. So, remember to breathe.
I didn’t want to write this, but I felt like it was an opinion that should be acknowledged and heard collectively. A few weeks ago, I was writing a different story and interviewing one of my professors in the BugTruck. (For those of you who don’t know, the BugTruck is that humble office tucked away in the south corner of Lile Hall. The Language and Literature department sits there.) As I spoke to my professor about an event where cultural appreciation was the focal point, she began sharing her thoughts on “mask fatigue.” I thought, “Yeah, sure. Everyone hates masks.” Some people wear them, some people don’t, but either way we’re irritated. We’re tired of the redundant remarks about masks, COVID and political controversy. But this wasn’t exactly her point. She went on to express that mask fatigue isn’t the physical complications that come from eight-hour mask wearing. Rather, it’s the threatening phenomenon in which people mistake masks for facial gags. Mask fatigue occurs when people feel a physical and mental hindrance in expression, when people start to hide behind their masks, rather than living boldly. People start to feel like their opinions and thoughts are worthless. They start to feel overwhelmed with the unknown and instead begin to settle into a state of terrible dread. They begin to lose a sense of community. With the current seemingly unceasing social unrest, it’s hard not to fall into that pit. I’m guilty of it, too. This year has been hard and it doesn’t take a genius to
see that. The list of grievances could carry us away, if we let it. COVID-19. Racial injustice. Missed milestones. Overwhelming division. Hurricanes. Technology frustration. It doesn’t take much sleuthing to uncover heartache and tension. It doesn’t take much effort to be consumed with questions, anxiety or anger. However, it does take work to be mentally and emotionally strong. It’s hard work, but it’s necessary work. If you’ve been struggling, take heart because you’re not isolated in this experience. Don’t listen to the lie that normalcy will never exist again. Don’t give stock to those who want to talk over you. Half of your face might be covered, but your imagination, your strength and your contributions matter now more than ever. As I finished my interview with my professor, these thoughts stayed with me for a few weeks. I’ve been tempted to stay in the shadows, stick to the walls and just try to get through these weeks unscathed. But the truth is, we’re all affected. We’ve watched our communities hurt and wander in grief. We’ve read terrible news headlines and heard shocking reports. Our world is unstable and tomorrow is never promised. So in this chaos, when so much of our future is unknown, I’m encouraging you to think in simple terms. No matter what it is — relationships, school, jobs, money or sickness — keep it simple. Don’t dwell on what you can’t change. Instead, be proactive and faithful to responsibilities in your control. I’m keeping it simple because my peace will not be stolen. It will not be threatened. I don’t care how long we have to wear masks or witness injustices. I will continue to live boldly and confidently.
