My graduate school just announced that specifically because vaccine mandates are not allowed in my state (they literally said something along the lines of "unfortunately we cannot mandate vaccines for our staff and students to stop the spread of omicron") they are implementing a temporary (we know how this ends) mask mandate instead for the first month of school to "curb the spread of omicron."
I'm not going to wear a mask ever.
and I'm really nervous about it since I'm bad at social confrontation and my school is particularly trigger happy about reprimanding students for not following rules. What should I say in case they threaten to kick me out of the classroom for wanting to breath fresh air? I want to say I have medical and religious complications but they might default to some sort of "well since we announced the mandate before school started, it was your duty to file an exemption before coming" or something like that. Not sure what to do.
I'm just really nervous especially since they suddenly sprung this mandate a few days before the first class and would appreciate some advice right now. Thanks.
There has to be something I could do or say to not wear a mask because I really cannot comply. The last time I had to wear a mask was for a professor meeting where I had to run out of the room to breathe and then told the professor I have to cancel due to anxiety and suffocation. That was the only time in these past two years I wore a mask and if I wear one now, I don't think I can come up with an exemption since I complied now. The problem is that I don't have any official stuff to back me up and it won't work if I say no at first and then pussy out later.
Gather up the data that shows that masks are useless, print it out, and keep it in a binder. Show it to the person who confronts you. If you can find data that comes from the CDC or NIH, that's even better.
For example: the coronavirus is 1 micron. The holes in masks are 3 microns. You are literally trying to stop a mosquito with a chain-link fence.
Don't forget to show photos from the side of the mask box that says that these masks are not to be used for coronaviruses.
Also, include the negatives of constant mask-wearing, like bacteria pneumonia.
Make it impossible for them to hold their position, while educating them at the same time. You might even red-pill someone in the process.
Good luck, fren!