Chapman community members debate personal responsibility as masks become optional
A majority of respondents to Chapman’s 2022 Mask Mandate Survey felt “comfortable” with optional masking as case rates remain low in the county. Graphic by HARRY LADA, Art
In light of softened COVID-19 prevention policies by the state of California and Orange County health agencies, mask-wearing is now optional in most indoor facilities for all individuals on the Chapman University campus — including those who are unvaccinated.
Chapman President Daniele Struppa alerted the campus community in a March 3 email, which stated the university will continue to “strongly recommend indoor masking” in accordance with various public health recommendations.
“It’s a personal responsibility to make sure you are healthy. If you have concerns, you should keep wearing your mask.”
The policy change follows a month of COVID-19 positivity rates among students, staff and faculty all peaking below 3%, respectively. However, testing rates across the Chapman community have also exponentially declined since January 2022.
During the school week of March 7-11, with the new masking protocol in effect, reported cases have remained below three per day, with positivity rates below 1% of the school population.
Testing rates for this period are currently unavailable on the CU Safely Back dashboard. But Student Health Center Director Jacqueline Deats told The Panther March 10 that, in the span of roughly seven hours, 83 tests had been conducted that day.
“Today, we’re obviously not testing as many (people) as we were, because those (who are) unvaccinated only have to test once a week,” Deats said.
In the same survey, most respondents reported that they would continue wearing a mask indoors due to personal preference. Graphic by HARRY LADA, Art Director
A university-wide poll, in which 3,842 out of 6,447 or 59.6% of respondents voted that they were either “very comfortable” or “somewhat comfortable” with Chapman removing a mandatory mask mandate, also influenced the change in policy.
For Ethan Nikfar, a first-year pharmacy student at Chapman’s Rinker campus, the switch to optional masking wasn’t just a change he felt comfortable with — he believes it should have happened much earlier.
“Once (COVID-19) vaccines became widely available for people, from a policy perspective, COVID-19 should have been over,” Nikfar told The Panther. “Once you (get) the vaccine, it works incredibly fast (to prevent) hospitalization and death … you have the tools to protect yourself.
Nikfar also told The Panther that, rather than health concerns, social pressures could be a driving force in why many of his colleagues continue to mask up.
“A lot of people I’ve spoken with don't want to take off (their masks) just because everyone else is wearing it,” Nikfar said.
Some other aspects of Chapman’s CU Safely Back plan remain unaffected or only partially modified. As Deats mentioned, unvaccinated students are now only required to show proof of one negative COVID-19 test each week instead of twice weekly.
Mask-wearing is still required in university shuttles and medical facilities, which state guidelines designate as “high transmission settings.”
Struppa also credited California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s newly relaxed mask mandates with catalyzing interest in a change to campus protocol.
“Lots of people were asking me what we were doing (about Chapman’s mask policy),” Struppa said. “We waited because we wanted to hear from two more agencies (first).”
After learning that the Orange County Health Care Agency, Chapman’s COVID-19 Task Force and another third-party agency dealing primarily with employee health all had agreed with the governor’s decision, Struppa finalized the new mask protocol.
“I got four or five emails from students claiming that I was contributing to their early deaths,” Struppa noted of the response to his announcement. “And a few people (sent) me a ‘thank you for doing this’ (message). It was much more modest feedback than I would have expected.”
While Chapman’s official COVID-19 protocol survey received mostly positive responses to lifting the mask requirement, an Instagram poll by The Panther showed that 83% of 75 respondents felt “less safe” with the new mask protocol in place.
One such student was senior psychology major Daniel Leon-Barranco, who told The Panther he felt as though the mask requirement was lifted prematurely.
“We’re not entirely rid of (COVID-19),” Leon-Barranco said, noting an experience with a relative who recently caught the virus. “The current policy is somewhat fine … I just think encouraging more students to continue using (masks is ideal).”
Other nearby universities have had varied responses to the state government’s latest COVID-19 policies, with some relaxing their masking protocols more than others.
The University of Southern California made on-campus masking optional March 7, and the Orange County-based University of California, Irvine will follow suit March 19 — though likewise to Chapman, indoor masking will still be “strongly recommended” on campus.
By contrast, the University of California, Los Angeles announced March 11 that indoor masking will only become optional for students, staff and faculty who are “up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines” beginning April 11, while the university will continue to require that the rest of the community wears masks and participates in weekly testing.
Similarly, California State University, Fullerton’s latest face covering policy, in which students, staff and faculty must “comply with … the recommendation that all individuals regardless of vaccination status must wear a face covering indoors,” will remain in effect until the end of March.
Students like Leon-Barranco believe that, regardless of the example set by other institutions, Chapman’s decision to ease masking restrictions places an undue burden on individuals who are immunocompromised and those who are unable to receive a vaccination.
“We just have to be more mindful of other people's health,” Leon-Barranco said. “And I think (wearing masks) is one way to be mindful of others.”
When addressing concerns like Leon-Barranco’s, Struppa cited the high vaccination rates among students, staff and faculty, as well as the general notion that many community members can be seen around campus still masking up, even as it has become optional.
“I always said to everyone, this place is safer than when you go to a club or the grocery store,” Struppa said. “Here, of the people you talk to, almost everyone (is) vaccinated. You go (out) — I think the number is way lower than that.”
As of March 12, the CU Safely Back dashboard reports 90.66% of faculty, 78.14% of staff and 82.71% of students as both fully vaccinated and boosted. The statistics for only receiving a full vaccination — without a booster — are above 90% for all categories.
In comparison, only 72.06% of the Orange County population is fully vaccinated as of March 11.
“For people maintaining concern (about COVID-19), I think the mask is a perfect way to keep safe,” Struppa said.
For Deats, the situation appears hopeful. While she recognizes the importance of listening to the concerns of the immunocompromised and those who are uncomfortable with the change in policy, she told The Panther she believes lessened restrictions will become a mark of progress, not relapse.
“If you look at the Chapman community on both campuses, our positivity rate is so low now,” Deats said. “I'm optimistic. Maybe with some masks off now, it will give (students) an opportunity to literally see people from a different view.”