‘It means the world’: Local Ukrainian-American students find support, discuss family during rally
Sophia Datsko, a first-generation Ukrainian-American, couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed Wednesday night.
As Russia mounted a full-scale invasion of Europe’s eighth-most populous country, the Penn State student feverishly messaged her uncle and cousins in Ukraine while her mother — who now lives near Philadelphia — called Datsko’s grandmother more than 4,000 miles away to make sure she was OK. Datsko sat in bed, switching between news on her laptop and social media on her phone. She couldn’t sleep.
But when she finally did manage to shut her eyes — maybe for 2 hours, she estimated — she awoke with the idea to hold an impromptu rally near campus. She felt helpless, but she wanted to do something. And as the vice president of the Ukrainian Society, a student group at University Park, her friends and fellow members agreed to meet in front of the Allen Street Gates on Thursday afternoon.
About four dozen students and community members joined them, holding up signs in English and Ukrainian, in the hopes more local residents would become aware of Ukraine’s plight. That they might make a small difference, whether convincing legislators to send more aide — not troops on the ground — or locals to consider making donations to Ukrainian-based organizations.
Datsko admitted Thursday to feeling weary. But her eyes lit up toward the end of the two-hour rally, when asked what kind of support the student group had received.
“Seeing everyone here today put the first smile on my face that I had all day,” she said. “It just made me feel so happy that there are others that feel as passionate about it that I do, about my culture, my heritage and my mother country. It was a happy moment to my day today.”
Locally, one sign beckoned motorists to “honk for Ukraine” — and Datsko said the rally didn’t seem to go longer than a few seconds without a beep. Penn State also sent letters to international students, offering them support and reminding them of available mental health services. Internationally, leaders the world over expressed their support of Ukraine, chastising Vladimir Putin’s Russia with a bevy of sanctions.
Maria Smereka, a first-generation Ukrainian-American and president of the Ukrainian Society, spent her night much like Datsko — by reaching out to family in Ukraine, following the news through multiple channels and staying awake until about 4 a.m. She clutched a cup of coffee toward the end of Thursday’s rally, grateful for the response their group received.
“It means the world,” she said. “I had people come up to me who are Ukrainian, Ukrainian-American, Russian, Russian-American or American of other backgrounds with no ties whatsoever to Ukraine and Russia. And it’s touching that they’re expressing support and reaching out and saying, ‘I’m here for you. I’m supporting you.’ It means a lot; it really does.”
The Ukrainian Society will hold a larger rally at 5 p.m. next Thursday in front of Old Main. It will also host a sign-making and song-learning meeting at 5 p.m. Friday in Room 157 at Penn State’s Burrowes Building.
In the meantime, both the Penn State and State College communities also expressed their support toward those who have family in Eastern Europe.
“It’s so important that we recognize the pain, fear, devastation and other difficult emotions that our friends from the Ukraine who live here among us and other parts of the world are going through,” said State College Mayor Ezra Nanes, adding his statement reflected his own personal beliefs on the matter. “Many people may be thinking of friends and family back home who are in danger. Our hearts are most definitely with them. And I also want to say ... that we also recognize there are likely many people of Russian descent who feel horror over what is happening, and we should in no way target or hold people of Russian descent or nationality to blame for this because this is the act of an autocrat and not a free Democratic people.”
Said Penn State spokesperson Rachel Pell: “Our hearts are heavy as we continue to watch events unfold and we ask that our community stand with the people of Ukraine, as we hope for a return of peace to that region and the world.”
No one knows what the future holds for the country the Ukrainian Society holds so dear. The Associated Press labeled the assault from Putin as the largest ground war in Europe since World War II and, according to both CNN and National Public Radio, Russia’s plan is believed to be overthrowing Ukrainian leadership and then installing a pro-Russian government.
Datsko is hopeful the war might be a short-lived one, potentially lasting fewer than 30 days before the pressures of sanctions force Russia to halt their plans. But as the war goes on, a new reality is setting in. Datsko’s grandmother in Ukraine initially confused the sounds of missile strikes with thunder. Subway stations are being turned into makeshift bomb shelters. And a recent Ukrainian declaration banned all men, ages 18-60, from leaving the country “due to the military state.”
But after a long Wednesday night, Thursday afternoon offered at least a short reprieve for the Penn State students impacted directly by the war. They cherished brief discussions with their peers, appreciated the honking cars and made public their own support for Ukraine.
“It’s just overwhelming emotions,” Datsko added. “This is just like my people. I live in a very heavily Ukrainian-populated area back home near Philadelphia. And I’m really patriotic in the sense of, I love the U.S. I’m an American first. But these are my roots. These are my Ukrainian roots. Both my parents come from there. So, by blood, I am a Ukrainian.
“And it just pulls at my heartstrings.”
How you can help
You can follow the Ukrainian Society primarily on Instagram at @ukrainiansocietypsu, or via Facebook. Datsko and Smereka directed people toward the website razomforukraine.org for a full list of organizations to consider donating to — “razom” means “together” in Ukrainian — and the following are just a select few of those included:
Nova Ukraine: This 501(c)(3) charity, with headquarters in California, is seeking to raise $600,000 toward “Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine” and currently stands at more than halfway toward its goal. You can donate via PayPal at donate@novaukraine.org or via the Facebook donation page.
Project C.U.R.E.: The parent organization, Denver-based charity Benevolent Healthcare Foundation, delivers medical supplies and equipment to developing countries — and a fundraiser is currently ongoing to support hospitals in Ukraine. The nonprofit is about 40% of the way toward its $500,000 goal, which would send 20 40-foot containers of supplies to Ukrainian hospitals in Kyiv, Dnipro, Lviv, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia and other cities. You can donate via their website.
Revived Soldiers Ukraine: Based in Nevada, this charity seeks to help severely wounded soldiers with medical needs. Donations can be made via their website, either through PayPal or credit/debit card.
