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The Quaker Quill

Friends School of Baltimore's Student News Site

The Quaker Quill

The Quaker Quill

Lunch & M? Try Lunch & Melting [Brief]
Lunch & M? Try Lunch & Melting [Brief]
Heat broke records this month at Friends School of Baltimore.
After a soggy sunrise, pink-clad seniors headed to Senior Hall to decorate it.
Seniors Rise for Senior Sunrise [Brief]
Friends School's class of 2024 arrived early on the first day of school to watch the “sunrise.”
Seniors and senate co-presidents Macy Goldberg, Noah Ripke, and Harrison Fribush kicked off the school years first collection with a gripping video.
Commencing Collection [Brief]
From Neighborly Notes to the Upper School’s first Collection, Friends School welcomes students back to start the year!
In their first game of the season, the varsity womens field hockey team scored a decisive win against Pikesville High School.
Quakes Beat Panthers 6-1 [Brief]
The varsity women's field hockey team started its season with an exhilarating win.
MIAA Varsity Volleyball kicked off its season last week with a win - the teams first since 2021.
Exciting Comeback for Varsity Volleyball [Brief]
Last week, in a nail-biting first game of the season, the team scored its first win in two years!
The class of 23 took over the faculty room and converted it to a club as part of the annual senior prank.
Seniors Celebrate Their Last Two Days at Friends [Brief]
The class of 2023 spent their final days of classes making mischief, singing, and reminiscing.
The Ultimate First Game [Brief]
The Ultimate First Game [Brief]
Friends School's new frisbee team had wide support and a narrow win at their first game of the season.
Newly admitted Friends students and families arrive for Festival of Friends.
School Welcomes New Families [Brief]
At the "Festival of Friends" celebration yesterday, dozens of admitted students and families visited campus and enjoyed a morning of performances and conversations.
The stands were packed with fans wearing white for boys Varsity Basketballs tense Senior Night game.
Close Senior Night Game Ends in Triumph [Brief]
With family and friends watching, the Quakes claimed victory in the game's final seconds.
Kaylyn Parks snuggles Ms. Carlins dog Basil, at an event in the quad to help students manage the stress of exam time.
Brief: Faculty Dogs Take a Bite Out of Student Stress
In a now-annual tradition, faculty dogs visited the quad this week to help students relax before exams.

Pull Your Masks Up, Boys [Opinion]

Junior+and+journalism+student+Ben+Keller+models+the+nose-over-mask+look.
Mary Wiltenburg
Junior and journalism student Ben Keller models the nose-over-mask look.

Until now, I have been silent about my burning, burning hatred of the exposed noses of ‘masked’ kids at this school.

The teachers are all doing a fantastic job; I didn’t even know what Math teacher Jordan Wright’s face looked like until the other day.

But there are a few kids in my classes, who I won’t name, who wear their masks under their noses all day. And when I see this once or twice during my classes I tend to look the other way. It’s no big deal if you happen to let it slip when you yawn.

But when I can see your bearded, ugly face the entire class for three, sometimes four, classes every day, with a witch’s broom for a nose hanging out of your mask, it’s just so infuriating. It’s intentional. They think they’re too cool to be safe or something. 

I always visualize myself walking up to them and duct taping their disposable mask to their face and sending them on their way. But I never say anything. It would make me seem like a suck-up. But a suck up to whom?  Doctor Fauci? That’s dumb. I – and everyone else who sees and ignores this blatant health hazard – should speak up regardless of fear.

Instead, we all find ourselves paralyzed; we’re unable to speak up for the sake of our own health for fear of judgement. As the Boston Globe‘s Robby Robinson said in the movie Spotlight, one guy leans on another guy. One unmasked idiot leans on someone just a little scared to speak out, and suddenly all of us have our noses out like it’s a gunfight with virus instead of bullets.

This one particular time I saw a student who, again, will remain nameless. He went unmasked for almost the entire Statistics class simply because he had a fountain drink from Chipotle. Why?

How much easier is it to breathe with your mask down? Do you feel like the big strong, invincible meathead you so badly wish you were now that the whole classroom is breathing your germs in during the worst viral outbreak in 300 years?

I know this is likely a small thing. I know that there’s a slim chance that this guy gives someone covid because his mask was underneath his nose. But it makes you look and seem uneducated when you do it. You’re basically saying, “Hey, I know that there’s a pandemic and I know that masks are the #1 defense against it, but I don’t really care about you or your families.” 

I’d like to particularly compliment Science teacher David Brock on his mask vigilance this year. Of the teachers I’ve encountered with mask-delinquent students, he’s been the best at catching them. There’s a time and place for everything, and now is the time to follow Mr. Brock’s example and help us all stay safe, and hopefully end the ridiculousness of COVID-19.

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About the Contributor
Ben Graff, Contributor
Ben, class of ‘22, is an avid writer and future student at Goucher College, who enjoys writing spooky and thrilling stories. Ben also swims, and hopes to coach a small armada of mini-Bens one day.
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    Emmet Neff-McGreadyFeb 15, 2022 at 1:04 pm

    ben keller lookin good!

    Reply