Mask-wearing has become a politically charged issue, but the kids at Enterprise High School in Enterprise, Utah just want to participate in their sport. It’s as simple as that. They understand what they have to do to have a somewhat normal senior year.
Parents encouraged their kids to leave their masks at home
Parents in the community had begun circulating social media posts calling on fellow parents to commit to “No Mask Monday.” One social media post called on fellow parents to tell their kids to ditch their masks, and defy the mask-wearing mandate, reasoning that, “They (the school) cannot suspend the whole student body!”
That’s when Dallee Cobb, a senior cheerleader, decided to take a stand and tell the parents how she and her friends felt. Flanked by fellow cheerleaders and football players, she bravely stepped up to the microphone prior to a football game and gave a heart-wrenching speech on behalf of all the senior athletes.
In it she said that she and her fellow students were excited to get back to their fall sports. She politely thanked the crowd for their support and then just as politely asked them to please wear a mask. She said that she and her friends simply want to have a senior year, Homecoming, Prom and hopefully even graduation. The Class of 2021 saw “…with the Class of 2020 how fast things we love can be taken away from us…”
Dallee admitted she hates the mask but is happy to do this small, selfless thing
Dallee admitted that she personally hates wearing her mask but says she is willing to do this “small” thing to be with her teammates doing the things she loves. “Wearing a mask is not fun” she said “but neither is wearing a seatbelt, or a life jacket, or pads for football but we do all these things so that we have a future.”
Her proud dad videoed her presentation and shared it on Facebook where it has been widely viewed. He said that he was proud of the kids for protesting the protest. Under the comments on his Facebook post, he added…
This demonstrates the power of our youth! They felt that they needed to have a voice in what was taking place. They united as a front and stood for what they believe in, what they need and want. They took their story to the public, to social media and the media! In less than a week it went from them wondering about the uncertainty of future school and not having a voice to being asked by the Governor to speak with him at his press conference where he gave them the floor. This is power, this is freedom! These are our children and future!
Dallee’s speech was poignant in its simplicity. This is about what these kids have lost and what they stand to lose and it’s about what Dallee calls a “small, selfless thing” that can help them recoup some of those loses.
Today reported that the Monday following Dallee’s speech most students came to school appropriately masked.
