Cornell once led universities across the country by admirably declaring its intention to hold in-person classes in spite of the continuing pandemic. This was before the world had a vaccine, or even knew when one was coming. It was one of Cornell’s finest moments, and ended in success. Now, however, the administration is clinging to ineffective COVID restrictions, even as colleges and universities across the country are retiring them and moving on with life.
On Friday the Cornell Administration announced it would be removing its mask restrictions for most Cornell activities, but not in classrooms. At this point, all Cornellians who wanted to be vaccinated–and some who did not want to be–have been vaccinated and boosted. The amount of COVID cases on campus and in Tompkins County is negligible, and, as the Cornell Administration has often boasted, there have been few, if any, serious cases resulting from infection at Cornell.
During the winter months, the administration announced a shift away from case counts and towards reducing the risk of severe infection. This was amidst a belated national recognition that the vaccines were not an effective barrier to transmission, but were wonderfully effective at reducing serious infection. At this time, anyone who wanted to reduce their risk of serious infection could do so, easily, by obtaining vaccination. Though this shift did result in the eventual loosening of testing requirements, Cornell’s decision to keep classroom mask restrictions in place suggests that the administration has not managed to tear itself from its obsession with case counts.
In terms of masking, students are increasingly defiant of restrictions in Cornell’s public spaces, and with good reason. Some campus gathering spots, like Temple of Zeus, feel like they did two years ago: refreshingly normal. It is apparent that masking provides little benefit in terms of risk reduction, and has serious, though difficult-to-measure costs. I have written extensively about this in these pages, including analysis about the risks to Cornell’s authoritative power.
At best, masking has some effects on transmission, and minimal effects on severity. States with severe restrictions, including mask restrictions, had marginally lower case counts than those that employed looser policies. There has been some correlation between restrictions and death rates, but largely due to differences in vaccine adoption. And consider the cost: so much has been lost in terms of socialization, emotional communication, and public interaction. There seems to be a joyless cloud that hangs over any interaction between masked individuals.
Masking in the classrooms is also detrimental to those who rely on facial expressions and lip-reading for communication. This includes–but is not limited to–the deaf, the hard of hearing, and those who speak English as a second language (of whom Cornell has plenty). As a person with severe hearing loss and who wears hearing aids, I can personally attest to the dramatic difference in the quality of communication when the speakers are masked. As a student, I regularly encounter the absolutely dull and impersonal affair that many masked classes have become.
Cornell itself has repeatedly asserted that there is almost no recorded transmission among students in the classroom. The risk to professors and teaching assistants is even less. For Cornell to remove the mask mandate everywhere but in classrooms is baffling. The classroom is the arena where masking has had the smallest benefits for risk of COVID infection and the largest costs on student learning and communication. Further, what benefit will in-class masking provide when students are entering and exiting the classrooms together unmasked?
The Cornell Administration’s emails assert that they make their decisions with the backing of the latest science. I urge the administration to provide their sources, to share with the students exactly what science they are making these decisions on. Better yet, let the students choose for themselves. It is time to end the mask mandate completely.
