To mask or not to mask?
![“My freshman year [was my hardest] because that was the first year of high school and it was when COVID-19 hit. It definitely [shook] things up, and it's also the year that my dad's illness basically took over my life and changed it beyond belief. My dad was immunocompromised, so I had to constantly focus on [questioning whether I was sick and if it were contagious]. It was a lot for anybody to handle, let alone a teenager. During that time, I didn't have my drivers license, [so] I couldn't escape it. I [was really] spending a lot of time outside playing golf and focusing on college even though I was that young. My main motivation is showing that I can be good at something but still do better. Leave it better than you found it. That's sort of been [my motto ever since] my dad passed away because it changed my perspective. Death doesn't seem so far; It seems so close. You want to make the most [out] of what you want to do in your life.” - Kylie Secrest, 12](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/SecrestK12-600x400.jpg)
![Tight end Travis Kelce helped carry the Chiefs to the Super Bowl by catching a touchdown in last year’s AFC Championship game. Kelce’s skills have opened up new opportunities for him this fall, such as dating Taylor Swift and starring in a new Pfizer ad. “If [Kelce] supports [vaccines], I think others will, people do tend to do what celebrities suggest,” English teacher Casey Holland said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Screenshot-2023-11-01-6.20.30-PM.png)
Wednesday, Feb. 16 the Parkway School District Board of Education voted in a 5-2 decision to recommend but not require masks for students and staff in grades K-12.
In a community update published Feb. 17, Superintendent Keith Marty stated, “Regardless of the decision each individual makes, I want to be clear: we will continue to support and respect one another as we have throughout the pandemic. While this new phase will mark a visible shift, we will continue to foster the caring and respect for one another for which Parkway is so well known.” Principal Jeremy Mitchell echoed similar sentiments in his school-wide announcement that same afternoon.
The following podcast explores the decisions of individuals in the community, in their own words. To view more episodes, click on the podcast below, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click “See all episodes.”