NC State announced a change for students and staff that would affect campus life a few weeks ago. For the last two years, students have gotten used to having a mask handy for all buildings and spaces on campus. However, the new mask mandate, put into effect March 7, allows students to enter most campus buildings with no mask, including classrooms.

Students and staff have expressed mixed feelings about the mandate, many concerned yet excited about the big change. Some students express concern about the timing of the mandate, as it was put into effect the week before spring break.

“[The mandate] is nice, but it was weird timing with spring break,” said Jasmine Robertshaw, a first-year studying elementary education.

A lot of students have only experienced campus life with masks, and many students are excited about the first time experiencing a maskless campus. Saja Sabha, a first-year studying biology, said she has no negative feelings about the new mandate and likes being able to be maskless with the warm weather.

Robertshaw said she feels as though her college experience has been better since the new mask mandate.

“I feel like I am getting the real college experience with the mandate change, as well as social distancing rules being more lenient,” Robertshaw said. “I feel like I am able to connect with professors and classmates better.”

Students who have experienced the University maskless before COVID-19 are relieved to feel like they are back to normal campus experiences.

“I remember college before wearing masks, and it felt like wearing masks put my college experience on pause, so I feel like I am back in college again in a way,” said Zac Miles, a third-year studying computer engineering.

Students still share concerns, however, about the University being careless with the new regulations.

“It makes me a little nervous about people being reckless with COVID,” said Maddie Pietras, a second-year studying biochemistry. “Just because the numbers are down doesn’t mean it is completely gone, and I am scared of getting COVID because the new mandate makes people more reckless.”

Students also expressed difficulty with the transition and how quickly the change happened.

“The transition was weird, and going from wearing masks to not wearing them took getting used to,” said Noor Asfour, a first-year studying business management.

The University still urges students to get vaccinated in an attempt to keep cases low on campus but no longer requires testing for students who aren’t vaccinated. Pietras said she wishes they didn’t take that away, and it is concerning to not require tests for unvaccinated students and staff.

Miles said testing unvaccinated students is a good way to keep cases down, especially because many students who aren’t vaccinated are less likely to test.

“The people who aren’t vaccinated are the ones who don’t want to get tested, even if they have COVID, which is scary,” Miles said.

Some students are still wearing masks in class, and some professors are still asking students to wear masks in classes while others were quick to ditch the mask. Sabha said most people don’t wear masks in her classes, and Miles said for his classes, if a professor doesn’t wear a mask then most students don’t wear one either.

Overall, students express excitement about the mandate, despite the big changes that it brings. Many expressed it gives students the feeling of a real college experience and allows students to make better connections with professors and other students.