We often feel like we are wearing a mask. A look outdoors in 2021 proves that. When we log into our classes, we hide behind icons. We mask ourselves. Teachers ask us how our weekends were, and we half-heartedly and reflexively answer “good.” We mask ourselves. On the rare occasions we go out, we take masks in tow, further concealing ourselves. Masks have become part of our lives. Our faces. Almost part of human anatomy. Strangers passing by try to fill in the unknown puzzle pieces. What is under the mask?  Although tossed aside when you return home, you can still sense the ghost of the straps linger around your ears and feel as though no one can really see you. And though you have all the puzzle pieces to your own puzzle, the feeling of being masked consumes you. It drives you to the edge and makes you wonder who you are under your mask.

The pieces in the 2020-2021 edition of The Renaissance explore these questions and are reflections of our collective quarantine boredom, loneliness, and frustrations. As you take in the magazine, we hope that you can see some of our fellow Rock Ridge students underneath their masks.

By Foday Yanssaneh, 11