COVID-19 has created many new “normals” for millions of people around the world. One of these new mornals is the use of face masks. While some may claim that masks are a burden, Mount Pisgah students have made them a fashion statement.

Recently, Mount Pisgah held a “Mask Off Contest” where students sent in their photos of their most creative masks and it was decided whose was the most stylish. The upper school winner of this contest was Michael Medebem.

In light of this recent contest, students throughout the upper school were asked whether or not a mask should match your outfit as an accessory would. Senior, Valentina Gauld responds, “I think your mask should compliment your outfit, it is like a necessary accessory.”

Senior Jenna Culpepper agrees. “It gives people a sense of control over this less than ideal situation,” she replies.

On the other hand, some students don’t believe that wearing a face-covering should have much thought put into it. “It may make you look nice and organized,” says Junior, Elyse Hoopes. “But it is not the most important thing as long as you are actually wearing one,” 

Even designer brands have taken advantage of the daily use of face masks by people around the world. Over the summer, certain designer brands have lowered the price of their face coverings, making them more attainable for a wider range of people. 

In June, a 3-pack of face masks at Lilly Pulitzer was $15. However, the price has since gone up to $40 for the same number of masks. Still, other companies have taken this as an opportunity to profit off of the demand for face masks. Collina Strada and Off White now sell masks for anything from $90 to $200.

We may not know how much longer face masks will be a daily necessity, but there are clearly multiple ways students and teachers alike can make wearing them a little less of a chore. Freshman, Kamiso Dawe explains that “Masks are for the safety of you and everyone around you, but if you want to match it to your outfit there’s no harm in doing it.”