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:
Finally, someone is talking about D.C. statehood again. And for once, it isn’t Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton.

This week, comedian John Oliver shed light on the issue during his HBO show “Last Week Tonight.” Through both a history lesson and a song, Oliver successfully turned D.C. statehood into a national conversation that has even sparked real, tangible activism. The video currently has more than 1 million views on YouTube.

Though Oliver’s segment was lighthearted, the fight for equal rights in the District is not. As “Last Week Tonight” emphasized, the city’s lack of autonomy allows Congress to ignore or block D.C. initiatives — even those that would benefit the health and well-being of residents.

In the past, some have encouraged students to get involved in the activism surrounding D.C. statehood, but it doesn’t appear to be a pressing issue for the majority of GW students, since come from other cities. Oliver’s endorsement likely won’t be enough to bring most students into the fight, but it’s a start.

Hopefully, this conversation will have some staying power, because the residents of the District deserve much better. And like Holmes Norton, they should refuse to yield.

Thumbs down:
So far in 2015, you may have noticed more gun violence in the local news than in years past. That’s because gun crimes have increased 20 percent this year – and it’s only August.

GW students shouldn’t be worried, though. Foggy Bottom is actually one of 17 neighborhoods that either saw a decrease or little change in crime. And levels of violent crime in D.C. have actually reached historically low levels, according to a report by the Urban Institute.

It’s unclear why gun violence has increased so much this summer, making it a difficult problem to address. In the meantime, it’s important for students to be careful while off-campus, especially in high-crime neighborhoods like the areas around Union Station, Petworth and Capitol Hill.

Of course, this is something that top officials are taking seriously. The chief of the Metropolitan Police Department has held press conferences about gun violence and a possible connection to an uptick in synthetic drug use.

There’s no reason to avoid exploring D.C. But we can all do our best to keep an eye out for ourselves, and for everyone around us.