Wearing a mask has become quite the controversial topic in the United States. Data indicates that if everyone wore a mask while in public, the spread of COVID-19 could be reduced.

The wearing of masks in public to lessen the spread of the disease was first recommended by the CDC on April 3, 2020. Almost a year later, with a vaccine developed and over half a million lives lost, the CDC is now recommending double-masking.

The CDC conducted an experiment and found “Fitting a cloth mask over a medical procedure mask, and knotting the ear loops of a medical procedure mask and then tucking in and flattening the extra material close to the face...substantially improved source control and reduced wearer exposure.”

On a more daunting note, medical workers are facing a shortage of medical masks such as N95s and KN95s. Doctors and nurses have used individual medical-grade for far longer than recommended as shortages have continued during the pandemic.

Due to the medical mask shortage, President Biden signed an executive order last month expressing a need for a sustainable supply of protective gear. White House press secretary Jen Psaki suggested that additional supply would be directed towards healthcare workers involved with vaccinations.

Whatever face covering you choose, it should be snug and without gaps. The CDC still suggests washing your hands often and social distancing as well as wearing masks in public.

I’m sure by now that you have heard of the new weight room being added to the back of the high school. Students at MVHS have definitely heard the construction going on in the back of the high school. Construction workers have worked day in and day out on the new addition.

Many students are very excited about the new room. Sophomore Allie Schubert says, “I am excited for the new weight room because it’ll give us more space to work out and there’s going to be way more room for the equipment.”

Dr. Josh Ladd, principal of MVHS says, “They started this winter building a new strength training classroom due to the fact that our insurance company and their engineers deemed the mezzanine as unsafe for the use of weight lifting."

He goes on to say that it was never designed to be used as a weight room and began to show large cracks in the concrete floor above the locker rooms. Due to the signs of the wear and tear, classes were immediately forced to move the weights from the mezzanine to the back hallway outside the gym, which then served as the classroom for a year and a half until the new area was complete. “This was a matter of simple necessity and safety," Dr. Ladd explains.