The internet exploded this week when a high school in the liberal state of Washington forced their band students to practice their instruments encased in a plastic bubble. Photos of the students widely circulated online.
Photographs published in a local Washington paper showed students playing their instruments in plastic green tents, many of whom had to bend their heads and necks to narrowly fit inside the bubble with their instruments.
The pictures have drawn intense scrutiny from parents and lawmakers as school reopening continue to be a problem under the Biden administration. As cases trend downward nationwide, and with the presence of the vaccine, not much has been done to get kids back in the classrooms without jumping through hurdles.
Ben Domenech, publisher of the Federalist, mocked the photos on twitter:
“There I was, trapped in a tiny green tent with a sousaphone, and all I could think was: not again.” https://t.co/yNA6CXlfOE
— Ben Domenech (@bdomenech) February 25, 2021
Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene weighed in:
Please stop this child abuse now! pic.twitter.com/2k4PbOrm4P
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) February 25, 2021
Bill Gertz, Washington Times reporter:
Band practice at Wenatchee HS in Washington state. Are you fucking kidding me? pic.twitter.com/iejHR4IwHs
— Bill Gertz (@BillGertz) February 25, 2021
THIS IS NOT NORMAL:
High school band music in Wenatchee, Washington state.
This is not normal. pic.twitter.com/uCzt9MHzaZ
— James Melville (@JamesMelville) February 25, 2021
The enclosures were made to allow students “to safely sing and perform without wearing a mask,” Haglund said.
The students were reportedly forced to practice their instruments in shift as to further prevent expose from COVID-19. The move followed the recent resumption of indoor learning in the school system.
