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‘This situation is all that I can think about’: Ukrainian students in Boston react to global conflict
The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has left the country in “apocalyptic” conditions, according to the United Nations. As infrastructure and security are damaged, healthcare becomes difficult to access and essential supplies run out.
4,478 miles from Kyiv, Ukrainian-American college students in Boston are glued to their phones, refreshing live feeds and searching for any good news about their family members and friends in Ukraine.
Terenia Hankewycz, a fifth-year civil engineering student at Northeastern University said she’s using her schoolwork as a distraction from thoughts of Ukraine.
“This situation is all that I can think about at all times,” Hankewycz said. “I keep going to class, keep doing my homework but that’s just become a side thing that I do, in addition to my every waking moment scrolling through the news, contacting family, talking to people, spreading information online.”
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Hankewycz is a member of the Ukrainian Cultural Club, a student group at Northeastern that was inactive for a few years during the height of the pandemic, but was able to return to campus officially this week.
The club has seen a rapid increase in attendance and participation as they have become more of a presence on campus.
“We feel that it’s important for other Ukrainian students to be able to connect with us and reach out and know that there are others here,” he said, “so that we can better coordinate with them, better support each other and so they know that you know they’re not alone.”
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The group has already organized two rallies in support of Ukraine on Northeastern’s campus. One on Feb. 24, the day the invasion began, and one a week later on March 3. Their ultimate goal was to raise money to benefit Ukraine.
Zachar Hankewycz, a third-year computer science major, said the organization has managed to raise upwards of $18,000, which includes $5,000 worth of donations made by members of the club.
Zachar currently has a paid internship at Salsify. He said he is glad to have the 9-5 work as a distraction from constantly refreshing the news.
“[Work] is a good distraction to have. Without it, I would just be refreshing and worrying every second of the day,” he said.
Zachar said the worst feeling is helplessness, not just for himself but other members of the club. For those 4,478 miles away, he said it feels like there is little that can be done.
Terenia said that helpless feeling is why she is determined to protest, spread information online, and raise money.
Zachar said if there’s one thing people with less personal ties to Ukraine should understand is that the first line of the Ukrainian national anthem says quite a lot.
“Ukraine has not yet perished.”
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