March 2 marks change on the St. Lawrence campus and across the entire state of New York. Today is the first day that the lift of the in-school mask mandate was put in effect for all NY State schools. Students are walking freely through the Student Center, unmasked and apprehensive. Fear of social judgment has riddled students and a new social etiquette has been acquired for the norms on campus. As the restriction is lifted, students share apprehension, asking friends and rereading the email from the University before they step foot into the Sullivan Student Center maskless.  

On Monday, Feb. 28, Vice President for University Communications Paul Redfern sent an email to all SLU students and faculty announcing a “COVID-19 Campus Update: Mask Requirement Changing on Campus,” the first since our arrival in the fall of 2021. The email outlined the new guidelines, removing the mask requirements in all indoor spaces, excluding classrooms, group meetings, and other individuals’ designated areas. For St. Lawrence students, living on a fully residential campus, this is a drastic change from the expansive mandates from months earlier.  

Daisy Fauver ‘23 sent a text to her housemates seconds before stepping into the Student Center without a mask on, confirming that it was socially okay to be maskless in one of the most populated places on campus. Other students shared how strange it felt to see everyone maskless, walking around without anything covering their face. Anna Wolke ‘23 said that while it felt strange to be wearing masks everywhere in the beginning, it feels even weirder to have it revoked and changed back to “normalcy.” However, she recounted how excited she was to see everyone’s smiles again.  

But the changes in mask mandates reach further than student socialization in the Student Center. For student organizations, like the Java Barn, which have been so heavily restricted by COVID protocols, the lift of the mask mandate means big changes to their weekly shows. The venue has seen an unfortunate decline in attendance because the mask mandate places a restriction on drinks and food in the venue, a Java staple before the pandemic. But now, things are changing back to the way it was before March 2020. Member of the Java House, Hannah Finley ‘22 commented on the change. “This means we can go back to the original Java that we’ve known and love and new students can finally experience that.”  

For other clubs on campus, the adaptation to this change isn’t as clear, as Canton community involvement complicates their plans. In SLU’s Wind Ensemble, they have recently begun to welcome those from the outside Canton community back for the first time in two years. This means that they are still required to wear masks while they play their wind instruments, as well as maintain social distance in the theater.  

Despite today’s exciting deadline, it doesn’t necessarily mean a quick shift for everyone. This change is one that will take adjustment and respect from everyone in the community. However, for the time being, we can celebrate seeing each other’s smiles and finally seeing the faces of the hard workers of the Pub and Dana that work hard every day to keep us fed and happy.