A group of students fighting school mask mandates (yes, those are still a thing) are proving to be mandate heart breakers with their hilariously satirical Valentine’s Day card fundraiser, but despite their creative efforts they’re seeing no love from Big Tech.
“A couple of months ago I came up with the idea of Valentine’s Day cards after joking about Dr. Fauci being nominated the Sexiest Man Alive,” says Students Against Mandates (S.A.M) founder and graphic designer Leigh Vossen, “the material wrote itself.”
Vossen, a student at Red River College in Winnipeg, Manitoba, founded S.A.M in 2021, and says the goal is to raise awareness that some schools are still using draconian measures to force students to mask up in class. Laurier, Brock University, and the University of Manitoba are just some of the institutions of so-called higher learning that are continuing the outdated ritual of mask wearing.
YOU’LL OWN MY HEART AND NOTHING ELSE
Staffed by unpaid student volunteers, S.A.M is a not-for-profit group that needs to be creative to raise funds to cover expenses. The hilarious Valentine’s Day cards are doing just that, as they feature images of controversial ‘public health leaders’ such as “immunologist” Dr. Anthony Fauci, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, founder of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab, and even star of The Mask Jim Carrey.
“Upon posting the campaign I noticed an initial major spike in followers, likes, comments, and shares; however, after 30-minutes interaction slowed down,” Vossen tells GWU! “Around then I began receiving messages that the links to the shop and their website no longer worked. Instagram blocked all links coming from our page so people had to DM us to get on our site.”
Each card, which is obviously satirical, comes with a amusing phrase such as:
‘I WANT TO JAB YOU WITH MY NEEDLE’, ‘HONK MY HORN’, YOU’LL OWN MY HEART AND NOTHING ELSE, and LET’S GET ILLUMI-NAUGHTY!
Vossen says the censorship from Meta-owned Instagram cost the grassroots organization in sales; however, despite that they still earned more than expected. She says the campaign was able to cover the expenses for their recent rally in Waterloo—banner, printed posters, flyers, rentals, etc—and the remainder of the funds will be put towards future protests.
BEHIND THE MASK OF ANTI-MASK MANDATE SUPERHEROES
S.A.M, which now boasts hundreds of members worldwide, has become a safe haven for students who do not wish to comply with the unscientific institutional COVID-19 mandates.
“(In 2021) I received an email from the President of Red River College announcing that students and staff would need to submit proof of vaccination or they would not be allowed on campus—no exemptions or exceptions,” Vossen confides to GWU!
Being an online student the mandate did not directly apply to her, however, she felt concerned for her fellow students. Vossen tried to meet with her school’s administration to reason with them, but was met with nothing but silence and form responses. “No data, evidence or reason was provided.”
And this critical thinker wasn’t alone. Feeling isolated, she reached out on Instagram where she found thousands of like-minded students around the world undergoing the same struggle with their schools.
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
“Anytime I discovered they were from Winnipeg I invited them to meet me for a coffee and eventually began inviting groups of students over to my house for potlucks to meet each other. I wanted to develop a network of students who would help me push back against the mandates as well as provide these students with a support system.”
“I began going to rallies to hand out postcards that called for students to get involved and join my group and dropping flyers off at local freedom restaurants.”
WHAT’S THE PROBLEM BRO? JUST PUT ON A MASK!
According to S.A.M there are a multitude of reasons to not force masking in universities. Schools are basing their rules on arbitrary and unscientific policies with no regard to the impacts on mental health, the actual risk of COVID-19 and, most importantly, freedom of choice.
And more and more students like Kamil Bachouchi are onside with the pro-freedom message S.A.M is advocating. “The attitudes towards these policies are shifting in our favor now that the initial fear surrounding COVID-19 has subsided. I would say those who support mask mandates are in the minority.”
THE GOVERNMENT DOESN’T LOVE YOU – BUT YOU’LL LOVE THESE CARDS!
GWU! readers can help spread the love of freedom from mask mandates at schools by supporting S.A.M and purchasing Valentine’s Day cards as well as T-shirts and more from their website.
