Sarah Blugis, a senior majoring in political communication, is The Hatchet’s opinions editor.
In case you missed it, here’s the best and worst news from around campus and the District this week.
Thumbs up:
All anyone can talk about this week is recently declared presidential candidate Donald Trump.
No, that isn’t the good news. The good news is that celebrity chef José Andrés – who is closely affiliated with GW as an adjunct professor, former Commencement speaker and through his new restaurant on campus – dropped his plans to collaborate with the real estate mogul.
Andrés was planning on opening a restaurant in Trump’s future D.C. hotel, but after pressure and a petition from the local community following a string of racist remarks from Trump, those plans are now off the table.
The D.C. and GW communities can count this as a big victory. In a city where everything is hidden behind red tape and leaders may ignore what D.C. residents want, accomplishing something through a petition is surprising.
But it also shows that Andrés is listening. He has become a prominent figure on campus over the past few years, and its clear he cares about where his name is attached. It’s great to see him supporting the interests of GW students, and hopefully he’ll continue to do so.
Thumbs down:
Fittingly, D.C. ranks No. 6 on the list of sweatiest cities in the country. For anyone spending the summer in the city, this shouldn’t come as a surprise.
This summer, in particular, has been a tough one. According to Capital Weather Gang’s Heat Tracker, the District has suffered 22 days with at least a 90 degree temperature so far this year. For anyone who has to leave their dorm or apartment at any point during the day – which, is probably all of us – it hasn’t been easy.
But, of course, it could be worse. In a city with a substantial homeless population, having our button-down shirts stick to our backs during a morning commute isn’t important.
If you’re here for the summer, remember that there are people out there who don’t have an air-conditioned apartment to go home to. The Department of Human Services helps homeless individuals during extreme temperatures, and even provides a phone number you can call if you see someone who needs shelter.
Of course, it’s fine to complain when it’s hot outside. We all do it. But for some people, the heat is more than just an inconvenience, so we can all do our part to help.
