With hundreds of students participating in protests responding to this semester’s events in Ferguson and police brutality across the United States, student protesters are claiming a new kind of class is in session for Washington University.

Last Monday morning, around 60 students participated in the “Homework in the Streets” protest and blocked traffic at the intersection of Forsyth and Skinker Boulevards for about 15 minutes. Later that day, students from the Brown School of Social Work and STL Students in Solidarity coordinated a walkout and “dead-in” that included stops in Holmes Lounge and the Danforth University Center.

On Thursday, a few hundred students marched through Olin Library and congregated on the lawn of the chancellor’s residence, where they listed two demands: that the University must avoid neutrality by taking a position on the lack of indictment against Darren Wilson and that Chancellor Mark Wrighton and other administrators meet with STL Students in Solidarity.

This walkout was larger than any in the recent past, such as the Peabody protests last year. While plenty of these student protesters were involved in the first student demonstration in August, it was apparent that many more students joined the actions last week.

Whether the protests maintain their momentum remains to be seen, especially with winter break just days away, but it’s still encouraging to see students take an interest and stance on events in Ferguson and New York, where a Staten Island grand jury similarly did not indict a police officer for killing Eric Garner with a chokehold over the summer.

A great deal of students have not viewed the student demonstrations kindly, however, particularly the decision of protesters to occupy the library on one of the last days of classes. Another controversial demonstration occurred outside the December graduation ceremony in Graham Chapel on Saturday afternoon.

Those disagreeing with the demonstrations have said that the rallies are causing unnecessary disruptions and turning people away from wanting to join the movement.

The latter point raises valid questions about the most effective ways to get Wash. U. students active in the cause and whether the on-campus actions so far have raised consciousness or just turned people further away. This concern should be a key feature of dialogue among protest leaders and followers alike toward sustaining a lasting movement. Protesters must also be open to the thoughts of the community around them.

However, there is also a pretty fundamental misunderstanding among some of the student body that the whole purpose of a protest is, in fact, to disrupt people’s routines. Missing out on 15 minutes of studying is an incredibly minimal sacrifice compared to the issues of police brutality and racism that organizers are emphasizing—a sentiment Wrighton himself expressed in an interview with Student Life on Friday. Rather than expressing immediate dismay with tactics of protesters, irritated and upset students should try to understand the valuable messages behind this brand of activism.

Indeed, breaking the metaphorical “Wash. U. bubble” can happen within the confines of our own campus. Student activists are bringing issues to other students that are otherwise all too easy to dodge. They are also willing to endure the sometimes reasonable but often derogatory backlash against them.

It’s important to remember that although the protests have illuminated a divide on campus, they have brought a plethora of people together. Rather than being perceived as an inconvenience, the protests should instead be seen as a learning experience and an opportunity for our University community to resolve tough questions.

The unrest is on campus, and it’s not a bad thing.