The students of Benedictine College request the excessive mask measures placed on the Murphy Recreation Center be alleviated.

Currently, students can be fined and banned from the rec for removing masks while engaged in intense physical activity. This policy is lacking in common sense and consideration for students' well being.

It is time for Benedictine to follow the advice of such authorities as the CDC and WHO, and the example of gyms locally and nationwide, and allow exercisers to remove masks as necessary when the intensity of activity demands.

Students ought to be allowed to use facilities they pay for, without fear, for the purpose for which they were built. That is, if they need to do hard workouts, they should not be prevented either by inability to breathe freely or disciplinary action.

Benedictine College can set an example of a wise and prudent response to Covid-19 by finding virtue in balance and eliminating such ill-considered policies.