Wearing Matching Masks Allows People to Express Uniqueness

With the mask mandate requiring all students and staff members to wear a mask while in the HUHS building, there are some teachers that have taken their own spin on mask wearing to make it a bit more fun, both for them and their students.

Spanish teachers Sara Ruiz and Kelly Schulz were inspired by their previous matching Monday activity they had been participating in for the past two years. Due to the current situation regarding the coronavirus, they decided to switch up their matching activity.

“Two years ago, Mrs. Ruiz and I noticed that we have a similar taste in clothing [and] it turned into a weekly thing last year,” Schulz said. “This year, we decided to do ‘Matching Mask Monday’ [because] we wanted to make wearing masks a little more fun.”

This twist the pair does makes the mask wearing more enjoyable for the teachers but also for the students. Schulz said that students “loved” when they wore matching clothes on Mondays in the previous years.

The two bought an assortment of masks to wear on their matching Mondays, including Day of the Dead and taco masks, along with masks that even have Spanish words on them. Ruiz also sewed llama masks to be worn.

Ruiz likes wearing matching masks because it is similar to “dressing up for homecoming.”

“It is fun because it’s one decision that is already made for me for a Monday morning,” Ruiz said. “It’s easy.”

Although wearing matching masks is just a small thing to do to make wearing a mask a bit more fun, Schulz thinks that the activity is fun for herself and Ruiz, along with the students.

“I think [students] notice it a little less this year because everyone has unique masks, but it is still fun for Mrs Ruiz and myself,” Schulz said.

Senior Brianna Becker, who is in Schluz’s class, did not notice the matching masks at first, but knew that Ruiz and Schluz had some type of matching activity again this year.

“[Teachers wearing the same masks] might affect their view on [masks] because seeing the teachers wear matching masks becomes some sort of a game,” Becker said. “It could help [students] have a more positive view of masks.”