It was a dark, dreary, and overcast day in October when I first encountered the small piece of pale white plastic that would change my life. As I walked through the dimly lit aisles of Hobby Lobby that day, desperately searching for an appropriate prop to use for our Media Office parody video, I felt as if there were some supernatural force leading me through that impeccable craft store. Lo and behold, it was on aisle twenty-nine that I found what would become one of the most vital additions to the Media Office in the past four years: the Mask.

The idea to buy the Mask came up when the Media Office had decided to make a parody of the TV show, the Office. When wanted to be able to recreate the CPR scene where Dwight (played by Georgia) cut the face off of the CPR dummy. Not wanting to mutilate Dr. K’s beloved CPR dummy, Little Anne, we decided that the best route would be to buy a fake mask and place it over the sweet, circular, and oddly flat face of Little Anne. If you’ve watched our video (click here to watch!), then you will notice how Georgia so gracefully yanked the Mask off and placed it over her face. Thinking it to be a hilarious and innovative way to solve a problem and allowing a legendary dummy live to see another day, the Media Office considered it a win.

Until the Mask evolved.

As we shot the rest of the video, the Mask was always close by if not on one of our faces. As it sat on the glossy wooden table, the pale complexion and hollow eyes staring back at us, I’d be lying if I didn’t say how when I looked at it a certain…darkness began to overcome me. Soon, without even realizing it, we had placed the Mask on its spot of glory on the bulletin board. Each when we walk in, we began to greet the Mask with a smile and soon, for some reason, we felt the compulsion to hang up red solo cup Christmas lights around it. Why red solo cups? Because the Mask demands only the best. It didn’t take long for us to start talking to the Mask, asking it to give us advice for classes, colleges, and everyday life. The answers it gave always a certain…evil to it, but the more we asked of the Mask, the more knowledge it sprouted. Soon, we began to crave the questionable advice that the Mask was bestowing upon us.

Months later, the Mask still sits on its place of honor on the bulletin board. One of our advisors, Mrs. Gross, is convinced the Mask is evil and has expressed this opinion many times. Insulted by this accusation, the Mask disappeared for several weeks and many tears were shed. Finally, the Mask took pity on us and reappeared, turning our bitter weeping into joyful smiles. To celebrate the return of the Mask, we decorated the Media Office with tinsel under the guise of Christmas. It was about this time when the Media Office members began to forget the process of writing their articles. We would look at a blank word document and then, suddenly, an entire five-hundred word article would appear that we did not even remember writing. Pictures would appear on the computer that we didn’t even know we took. It was as if the Mask had not only written its story on our hearts, but also on our Surface Pros.

Of course, many people have called us ridiculous for believing in this…incredible being. They say it’s all in our head or that we’re just being silly. It’s just a piece of plastic, they say. It’s just a toy, they say. But they don’t understand. The Mask is one of us. The Mask is life. While you may not believe in the power of the Mask, as the Media Office, we do and that’s all the matters.

And if you still don’t believe me, ask yourself…

Who do you think wrote this article?