EDITORIAL: EU is hitting the mark in showing solidarity, but is missing a few steps

With the ongoing conflict going on in Ukraine, Elmhurst University is doing a superb job with marketing, fundraising, and support efforts for Ukrainians abroad and on campus during this tumultuous time in history. 

The war in Ukraine is not a light-hearted subject, it’s traumatic for those caught in the crossfire and for EU diaspora having to see their families up and leave to neighboring countries in the Eastern bloc.

Standing in solidarity is crucial in showing a sliver of humanity when it seems to have been lost, whether that be through media coverage, question and answer sessions about the situation, and fundraising opportunities through student run initiatives.

The effort put toward supporting Ukraine, however, does not match up to prior efforts put forth by EU in recent years, as conflict arises in countries where students and faculty come from. 

At the same time, it is important to remain consistent, and ensure that first world, predominantly white countries are not the only ones receiving the attention of EU. From Myanmar, to Palestine, and many other countries in crisis require our attention. 

The campus community is diverse hailing from various countries and having descendants from countries impacted by war. Opening up the conversation, offering resources, and standing in solidarity with these afflicted countries is key to ensure everyone on campus feels supported. 

In 2021, a military coup took place in Myanmar while a EU student lived there working on school remotely. With a student caught in the crossfire, there was no outward solidarity or support shown to encourage the campus community to think, pray, or learn about what was going on where a student is present. 

While it is not fair to call out a lack of support for students in conflict-ridden countries without looking inward, The Leader actively tries our best to have localized coverage about pertinent global issues in our coverage, but our small staff makes it difficult to cover every issue abroad with the ability to localize it back to Elmhurst. 

Ensuring students feel supported is important and in a Feb. 25 email from President Troy VanAken, he sent out resources for students to feel supported which is amazing, given past instances where students have been left to deal with their grievances on their own. 

Seeing the support strengthens the schools position as an institution working to better support their campus body, but there is room to improve by providing resources and sending support to the geographically diverse campus community who don’t often see their countries struggle on the front page of news.