Marlene Joachin

Marlene Joachin, a 23-year old, wears her disposable surgical face mask and her green Public logo mask provided by her employers.

“It seems like the mask has been my enemy since day one,” said Joachin.

She does not wear her mask when she is with her friends and family because she feels safe around them. However, the virus can be transmitted from someone who doesn’t show any symptoms according to the CDC. She does wear it to stores and places where she does not know the people.

“You know these people so you feel comfortable around them and with things like COVID you never really expect it to affect someone close to you,” she said.

Joachin had to go on a lunch date. Although, she didn’t know her romancer so she obliged and wore a mask.

“We had such a hard time hearing each other,” she said, “it was so awkward because I swear he was frowning under that mask, and throughout the whole date we were saying ‘huh and ‘what’.”

She says that the only reason she’s still wearing her mask is because it is required, and she feels bad for the children who deserve a future without being barricaded inside.

“For my sister who I want to see walk her graduation stage next year and not have to receive her diploma she worked so hard for online,” Joachin said.