Why did you get the option to walk into school Monday morning without a face barrier that has been on our faces for over two years now? No matter how you walked into school we can all agree it was super weird to actually see faces of people. For some of us this is our first time in our high school time without a face mask.

This all started when schools and teachers were upset with the decision to wear masks in school, and this started a lawsuit. There were more than 145 schools that were involved in this lawsuit. A judge named Raylene Grischow has declared that Pritzker’s mask mandates and vaccine rules are “null and void” according to nbcchicago. Many schools held emergency board meetings such as Orion, and almost all schools around the area. Many schools struggled with what this means for them, because they were not involved in the lawsuit. As you could see Monday morning our school now has an optional mask mandate for everyone. Chicago schools are still requiring masks, because cases are a lot worse. Many schools around the area have also made mask wearing optional, but next door neighbors at Sherrard are still requiring masks as of Monday.

This ruling could be temporary though, and many including the Illinois governor want to overturn it. But there are also many out there hoping it won’t be. This rule also means that vaccinations don’t really matter, because right now you can’t be quarantined unless you have symptoms of covid 19. This is due to the fact that the judge thinks it is unconstitutional to track people, and who they were around. Teachers who are unvaccinated, and according to the first ruling they had to get tested every week. Well according to the judge and the ruling she made they will not have to get tested. But at the end of the day the rules are up to the school districts and what they decide to put in place. But if schools do not make masks optional and listen to the judge they are risking a lawsuit. 

So, as you walk around school and see faces you can thank this judge for making our schools a little bit more normal. It feels weird, and it might not last long, but for now you can choose what you feel is best for you when it comes to mask wearing.