Let’s take a moment to talk about something a bit more serious. You’ve probably been hearing a lot about Ukraine in the last few weeks or so. Maybe you’re up to date with exactly what’s going on in Eastern Europe or maybe you have absolutely no idea what’s happening or why we should care. This is the first time most of us are witnessing a war unfold in Europe, and on such a public scale. So, let’s dive in.
Ukraine was once part of the Soviet Union but gained independence and has been recognized as an independent state since 1991. The current conflict that Russia escalated with Ukraine is a classic case of a justification of hostility, meaning Russia, or rather, Putin, tried to legitimize unreasonable demands as a means to go to war while concealing the true intentions of going to war. Putin is claiming he is trying to “denazify” Ukraine—a nation led by Jewish President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who lost family in the Holocaust. And we cannot overlook Russia’s strike on Babyn Yar, a Ukrainian Holocaust Memorial, as of March 1.
It’s safe to say that denazification is a distorted justification for attacking Ukraine. Putin is trying to consolidate Ukraine back into Russian power in a conquest that frankly is not going as well as Putin anticipated. Despite Russian attacks, Ukrainians are relentlessly fighting back as the world watches. And it’s heartbreaking to watch because not only is a beautiful country being slowly reduced to rubble, but a lot of Russians don’t want this, and can be charged with treason if they voice their disagreements.
While there are so many updates and stories to follow in the region, why should we care? How does this relate to college students in the US, let alone Loyola? The power of college radio and communication abroad.
Loyola’s campus radio station, WLOY, took part in a moving stand of solidarity along with 50 other college stations connected with the College Radio Foundation in which students recorded messages of support to be shared with Ukrainian students. As WLOY Operations Manager, John Devecka stated, “college radio connects everyone to more than just their campus” and has allowed students to now take part in connecting communities in such a powerful way.
As of February 28, the Student Radio Station from Ukraine (STUD) located in Lviv, responded. Roman Zajac, head of STUD, was able to coordinate with Ukrainian students throughout the country sheltering from the war and offered a moving “message to the world from students in Ukraine who face an uncertain future.” Just a few days later, Russia destroyed Kyiv’s TV tower in an attempt to begin dismantling Ukrainian communication. But Ukraine will not be silent.
Listen to the messages from the Ukrainian students here, as we continue to stand with Ukraine in hope for peace.