As dozens of protests erupt across the country during a global health crisis, it’s safe to say we’re living in uncertain times.

Thousands have rightfully taken to D.C.’s streets to express their frustration and anger with police brutality following the murder of George Floyd. But officials recently released a misleading decision on fall classes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here’s the best and worst from this week’s headlines.

Thumbs up:

Demonstrators marched through D.C. and campus over the past few days, drawing attention to police brutality and the number of black Americans who were killed by police in recent months. The protests are a symbol for the country that we will fight for social justice in the nation’s capital for as long as it takes.

Protesters are marching to urge justice for Floyd, who died last Monday after a Minneapolis Police Department officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, Breonna Taylor, shot by a Louisville Metro Police Department officer in her home, and Ahmaud Arbery, killed by two white men in Georgia while jogging in late February.

These protests are giving voice to the voiceless and demonstrating to U.S. leaders that citizens are tired and upset by the countless deaths of black Americans by police. Everybody, regardless of race, is united against police violence and an unfair criminal justice system.

Protesters are marching for the basic human rights of all black Americans in the United States. They are the very best of all of us and represent the spirit of our country.

Thumbs down:

While many are relieved to hear some news from the University regarding the fall semester, the announcement that students will end the semester online after Thanksgiving is not helpful.

The news is misleading given that the University hasn’t decided if we will return in the first place. University President Thomas LeBlanc and other officials are hopeful for our return to campus this fall,  but the truth is that the announcement was premature and not descriptive enough for students to discern what they should anticipate for the fall. 

Students are not concerned with how they will get home at the end of the semester – they are concerned about whether they need to prepare for a return to campus come August. Officials should have waited to release their full plan for the fall instead of giving students a tidbit of information. The announcement ultimately means nothing if officials later announce that students can’t come back for in-person classes.

Hannah Thacker, a rising junior majoring in political communication, is the opinions editor.