OPINION: Cover your nose

Have you had someone in one of your classes wear their mask without covering their nose? It’s annoying. It truly boggles the mind that someone would cover their mouth but think their nose doesn’t abide by the same rules. It’s a pandemic, we’re covering every orifice.  

“But Ben” you’re saying, “It’s hard to breathe when it covers my nose!”  

To that I say suck it up buttercup. Pop your mask over your nose and slap on your big kid pants because it’s a pandemic. It’s a virus that’s so stupidly simple to prevent that a layer of cloth over your sniffer and staying inside saves lives.  

“But Ben, I’m a young person I can’t die from the virus.”  

First of all, you can get the virus and if you’re saying stuff like that you probably will. Second, even if you are asymptomatic you can still spread it to other people. Have some sympathy for your professor who is older than you and maybe a year away from retirement. Have some sympathy for your asthmatic classmate who could die if he got COVID-19. Wear your mask correctly. 

“But Ben, isn’t this virus all a hoax conducted by the liberal media?”  

Ok… now you’re making this hard for me. On one hand, if you think like that I sincerely invite you to look into what happens when you don’t wear a mask. On the other hand, I don’t want people to get hurt and you shouldn’t either.  

So, for anyone who thinks that the virus is a hoax, I suggest you wear a mask ironically. That allows you the satisfaction of voicing your opinions and keeps those around you safe at the same time. Wouldn’t it be funny if you wore your mask just to prove how silly people look when they wear one? Instead of a MAGA hat, why not take a MAGA mask for a spin? Own any nearby ‘libs’ by wearing that mask. I’ll bet they would be fuming (because of anger, not because they have a fever). 

In all seriousness, containing this pandemic and keeping our neighbors safe is a team effort. If you don’t like to wear a mask, I’m sorry I hate it too, keep in mind it’s better than the alternative. If you don’t believe in the virus, humor us please.  

The University of Idaho is doing a standup job of giving us something resembling the college experience during a pandemic. The least we can do is take advantage of the head start they gave us and follow safety measures. We’re all in this together, we’ll survive together, we’ll thrive together. Wear your mask properly and cover your nose.