While this issue may not seem significant on the surface, the fee increase is emblematic of the cultural and political environment we are living in today. Arguably, the two largest topics that faced the nation last year and continue to do so are the pandemic and police reform, so it is hardly surprising that the university has chosen to raise an extra $335,688 for both. 

Derek Chauvin, the officer who killed Floyd, was found guilty of murder Tuesday and hauled off to prison, possibly for decades. The Black community and its allies joyously poured into America’s streets in celebration, relieved that they can now begin to heal from the trauma of both the killing and trial. Many consider the case a turning point in U.S. policing as well as the country overall, but much more and harder work remains ahead.

The United States has endured a lot this year. Americans have witnessed natural disasters, police brutality, school shootings, and an ever-increasing partisan divide. While all of these events existed prior to 2020, this year we faced an additional challenge: a global pandemic. With more than 200,000 deaths in the United States alone, COVID-19 has made a permanent mark. The coronavirus pandemic has caused a rise in social unrest and economic disruption, leading to an even more tense nation.

Ending this violence requires a bipartisan and nationally coordinated approach. The first step is to restore order by deploying the National Guard. While the Guard will likely have to use some force against civilians and protesters, the risk of injury from looting and rioting is much higher, and the Guard is needed to flatten the curve of the unrest. It’s sad that we need to send them in, but just like flattening the curve of the COVID-19 virus through social distancing, we must face the music and do it.

T.H.U.G. L.I.F.E. "The Hate U Give Little Infants F*cks Everyone." This acronym created by the late hip-hop icon, Tupac Shakur is a thought-provoking political statement that remains just as accurate today...