War on Ukraine Affects Those in Our Own Backyard War on Ukraine Affects Those in Our Own Backyard

Syracuse students and staff have personal connections to the ongoing crisis.

Max Tomaiuolo: The war on Ukraine is affecting people in our own backyard. Syracuse University has many Ukrainian students that have family stuck in their homeland. Freshman Bohdana Colopolnic attended yesterday’s peaceful protest at St. John the Baptist Ukranian Church. She it tires of the violence brought up on her people.

Bohdana Colopolnic: “Being Ukrainian myself, my roots mean so much to me. Just seeing people suffer for the last so many years is just really hard on me and my family.”

Max Tomaiuolo: Colopolnic is a member of the SU Catholic Center on campus who held a rosary service for Ukraine victims last night. Head Chaplain Gerry Waterman says there is a way for students to help the victims.

Gerry Waterman: “As I tell some of my students, I know they feel helpless, but the best we can do is pray. The best we can do. We can’t get over there, we can’t.”

Max Tomaiuolo: With tensions expected to rise, the community is praying for peace. Max Tomaiuolo, NCC News.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News)  The war between Russia and Ukraine has rippling effects on the local Syracuse community. At Syracuse University, there are numerous Ukrainian students who have direct ties to the war.

Freshman Bohdana Colopelnic has grandparents who live in Romania, just over the Ukrainian border. Her uncle is the pastor at St. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Auburn, New York.

“Being Ukrainian myself, my roots mean so much to me. And like just seeing people suffer for the last so many years is just so hard on me and my family,” Colopelnic said.

Colopelnic is the secretary of the Ukrainian Club at SU and is taking to social media to spread awareness of the ongoing violence in Ukraine. She works with the club’s instagram account @urkclubsyracuse to send out donation drives for Ukrainian relief efforts.

“The best way to help is if you don’t know anything about the situation, just educate yourself. Take the time to understand what’s really going on because everyone is about to be affected by this,” Colopelnic said.

Bohdana is also a member of the Catholic Center on campus. Chaplain Gerry Waterman has served the Syracuse community since 2016 and is adding additional prayer services for Ukraine in this time of crisis.

“As I tell some of the students, I know they feel helpless, but the best we can do is pray. The best we can do. We can’t get over there. We can’t send them a cup of coffee or some food. It just wouldn’t work,” Waterman said.

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