Special Edition Spring 2022: A World Away
The War on Ukraine’s Connection to Us
Who knew an interval workout could be so hard? I pedaled as fast as I could on the Butler Center elliptical and tried to mentally run away from an exam I needed to study for and a paper that needed to be written. As usual, CNN was broadcasting above me. Red and white banners with black letters were always there to alert me in my sweaty state what the world was up to, but today was different: I saw people (men, women and children) fleeing from their homes. “Russia has invaded Ukraine,” read the headline. I remember feeling distant. There is a war going on and I am peacefully running in a gym. My run is fueled by procrastination; they run for fear of their lives. Part of me wants to look away; I don't have to watch, but then I think “should I?”
“It's a privilege to ignore,” noted current student and Wheel Associate Editor Lauren Trowbridge ‘24 (ASL Interpreting and English) to me in an interview. They were right. It is a privilege that I can ignore and entire countries suffering, but does that mean I (we) should?
I didn’t know then, but in the days to come, footage of suffering Ukrainians would greet me daily in the gym and other spaces. I could look away, but what would it mean if I ignore this news? I would be ignoring human suffering that is happening in my world right now. While it is hard to watch with our inability to alleviate the suffering, I feel as if this is something we should do. We are all human, and when one hurts, we all hurt. Being human means respecting others and caring for them, even if that is simply the act of remaining informed about their suffering. We may not always be able to do something, but by watching and remaining informed, students orient themselves to help should an opportunity arise.
A Brief History of What Has Happened (Source: New York Times, February 24 and March 22, 2022)
The war in Ukraine began on February 24 in the early morning. Russian troops stormed the country heading towards its capital, Kyiv. When beginning the assault, President Putin stated that he wanted to “demilitarize” Ukraine, not take its sovereignty. (His statement appears to have meant that he didn’t want to overtake the country, though his following actions indicated something else.) Soon after the beginning of the invasion, thousands of people tried to flee. Long lines of cars flowed out of Kyiv as people tried to go north and many struggled to evacuate the country (people still are struggling to escape). Escaping the country was near impossible as Russian troops began to target border crossings so that Urkianians would not be able to leave. People eventually chose to shelter in place as bombs become more frequent. Countries including the US and UK shortly after the initial attack, condemned Russia, showing their support for Ukraine. Ukraine after a month of devastation is seeking to possibly enter a neutral status in hopes that it eases the effects of the war on their country and people. What exactly the neutral status would mean is still unspecified as Ukraine and Russia have different priorities and demands.
Knowing that information, while abundant, is sometimes hard to understand in our day and age, I chose to ask around campus what current students thought was going on in Ukraine and why. Trowbridge simply stated that “Russia attacked and is trying to take over Ukraine.” This is true, though other students gave more elaborate analysis.
Mia Yoder ‘25 (Sonography), shared that she thought, “Ukraine was invited to join NATO and Russia did not want them to because that means all the countries previously controlled by the USSR and surrounding Russia would be a part of NATO. Putin wants to take their land and resources and it doesn't seem like very many people want this war to happen. If the US gets involved, then NATO does and we would start a world war.” Again, this is also accurate. What fascinated me was how they differed in their breadth of knowledge.
Perhaps the difference comes from students' personal desires in learning about the topic. Another reason may be that different media outlets give students varying amounts of information. For instance, a New York Times article will have more information than a short 60 second TikTok. I was curious where others my age go for information, Trowbridge shared they go to “Instagram accounts (fact checked of course), news sources online.”
Yoder says they go to “CNN, TikTok (but I fact check online), Apple News, NBC.” Perhaps there is something beneficial in going to TikTok or Instragm for news. While I personally do not do this, I recognize that it is a common place that students spend their internet time. If this is where students are going to be anyway, why not share relevant information about the world. We are living in war time and people are suffering. I believe that it is our responsibility to know what is going on, so, inform yourself through (fact-checked) TikTok or Instagram, all the power to you.
A Possibility of Why Russia Invaded Ukraine (Source: BBC, April 7, 2022)
Paul Kirby, BBC author, must have picked up on the fact that many bystanders of the war do not truly know what is going on or why. On March 28, 2022 he wrote an article about why Russia would invade Ukraine. Hopefully, a summary of this article will help students know what is going on. Initially the purpose appears to have been control of the government and land because Ukraine was seeking to join NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) after the fall of the Soviet Union. NATO is a treaty that connects countries in Europe and North America in the hopes of creating “freedom and security for all members” (NATO.com). There are some rules for entering the treaty, one of which is that the current countries must agree and there was much speculation on whether to let Ukraine in or not. In an article in the New York Times on Mar. 28, 2022 it was speculated if Russia attacked and Ukraine was a part of NATO, NATO would have to retaliate which would possibly lead to a world war. Kirby in BBC speculates that Putin changed his tactics after he invaded and was met with resistance from Ukrainian troops. Conquering was not as easy as he thought, so he had to settle with the possibility of a neutral Ukraine. Ukraine wants freedom and Russia wants the military removed. How this will play out still remains to be seen.
Students on campus shared with me how this war is affecting them. Wren Heille ‘24 (Sociology and Political Science) said “we are all people and it is my obligation to help others. Furthermore, this will have ramifications across the globe and inevitably will affect me.” In thinking about how this affects Ukrainians and their everyday lives, I wanted to know if current Katies think we as college students can help alleviate suffering and how. Yoder said one can, “donate, spread awareness, I know some Americans are renting Airbnbs to support Ukrainian owners, as well as supporting Gofundme and hosting families.” These answers are wonderful because even if you are not in a place where you can financially do this, you can take these and share them with someone who can give money or save these ideas until you can give.
Heille noted that larger ways we can help are, “Learning what we can about the situation and calling our representatives to encourage refugee relief or those who are larger could donate to refugee relief services, call their representatives and encourage refugee relief, and support Ukrainian businesses and relief services.” We, as college students, are limited in what we can do, but not everyone is. What can those who are wealthy in the US do? What can government officials do? The answers to these questions will not be easily answered, but that doesn't mean they shouldn’t be asked.
Our situation in the world, though limiting our ability to aid those suffering in Ukraine, does not make us render us completely inactive. Everyone on this planet is human and deserves the right to live. So, when one is suffering we should strive to aid them if we can. I believe that this is a crucial part of living in our community and world. Perhaps for now all we can do for Ukraine is watch with hope for a better future. And should the time come when action is needed to help, we, the ones watching, will be ready.
