Since 2010, Onward State has published a slate of satirical stories annually on April Fools’ Day. Over the years, it’s become a well-known tradition and made for plenty of laughs.

This year, our editorial board was faced with the difficult decision of whether we should uphold this tradition, given the current state of the world due to the coronavirus pandemic and the corresponding deluge of misinformation. We want to ensure that the steps we take and the stories we write (on April 1, throughout this crisis, and always) reflect sensitivity and concern for our community and maintain our credibility as a trusted source for campus news. At the same time, we believe there is also a place for laughter, which can provide a sense of healing during the toughest of situations.

After considering the sum of these factors, we have decided to publish April Fools stories tomorrow, April 1. However, we are taking several measures to ensure our stories are both sympathetic to the global crisis and not taken literally. 

Although it is undeniably funny when Donald Trump refers to one of our satirical posts on the campaign trail, each story this year will be clearly labeled as April Fools multiple times in order to prevent any misconceptions during a time where validity and accuracy are at a premium in news coverage. 

We are taking extreme caution while developing our ideas in an effort to be considerate of the pain, fear, and anxiety many feel right now. Unlike past years, we will not be starting long-running conspiracy theories, criticizing administrators, or making light of timely issues. We simply want to honor tradition and bring some much-needed entertainment to our readers.

We believe that laughter will help us all get through this current situation and help us make sense of it. Onward State exists to foster the student voice through the combination of commentary that is fair, authentic, and sometimes humorous; analysis that is critical and irreverent; and news that is relevant and accurate. We want to continue providing every aspect of that mission statement to our readers by offering that light-hearted entertainment in addition to our news coverage and more serious analysis as we all deal with this new normal of social distancing.

We hope you enjoy the stories we have planned and continue to stay safe.