THE HERALD
April 23, 2014
Through the Looking Glass: An Insider’s Perspective
on the Ukrainian Crisis and Its Future
Marlena Brown, news editor
The past few months for Ukraine have been
tumultuous and unpredictable, to say the least. From
contended annexations to predictions of civil war,
Ukraine has not been portrayed in the most positive
light in the media. Recently, Ukrainian President
Oleksandr V. Turchjmov enacted a military opera
tion, which according to the New York Times, is an
anti-terrorist operation in the northern region of Do
netsk. The purpose is to ensure the safety of Ukrai
nian citizens during the warfare and bloodshed in the
region. Yet, this action, as well as many others, has
been questioned by both the media and Ukrainian
citizens in terms of legitimizing the effort to keep
people safe.
While the media has had their say on the is
sue, Meredith College’s Associate Professor of Politi
cal Science, Dr. Jeffrey Martinson, gave his view on
the matter, and the reasons behind the contention:
“The current imbroglio over Ukraine is both serious
and largely to be anticipated. It has its roots in sever
al contradictory trends developing over decades and
in some cases centuries in terms of political, econom
ic and social factors; as a result various entities have
claimed title over parts of present day Ukraine over
its history...The current crisis of Crimea and other
parts of Ukraine can be seen as the continuation of
a long standing process of identitative and jursidic-
tional contention.”
“More immediately, the conflict is over re
sources and control of [resources] in both Europe
and Russia. [Russia] has been losing in the symbolic
tussle over spheres of influence, with NATO, the Eu
ropean Union and other institutions representing
European interests encroaching on areas that had
“As for the
Ukrainian
crisis, a major
question
remains: what
will be the
outcome of this
national
tumult?”
once been the exclusive purview of Russia. [Mean
while], Russian sensibilities became heightened or
even paranoid...From this lens of suspicion, the vio
lent overthrow of the Ukrainian regime was a prov
ocation that warranted a response. Crimea was the
place to affect that response.”
From a native’s perspective, this issue is
conflicting, as loyalties towards the government are
questionable for citizens at this time. Staff writer Al
lah Aykivea received an insider’s opinion, Anastasia
Mityayeva, on the matter. Mityayeva’s statement on
the tensions in Ukraine was telling of the attitudes
of many citizens in the region: “I would like to share
that people here are afraid of war and occupation by
Russian forces, also, there is a group of pro-Russian
protesters. I hope that our government and militia
will do enough to stop Russian aggression. It’s a
pity that people are scared to express their opinion
if they do not support Russian help because they do
not have guns, but pro-Russian ones have been seiz
ing it recently from local armories. I hope it will end
peacefully soon, but Putin’s statements don’t presage
that.”
To continue this conversation, the History
and Political Science Department will be hosting an
informational session for students to discuss their
thoughts and opinions on the situation in Ukraine,
Crimea and Russia. This event will take place during
the final two weeks of class, with more details soon
to come. Students from all disciplines are invited to
partake in this interesting and complex conversation
to become better acquainted with world news and
learn how these events often hit home for students.
As for the Ukrainian crisis, a major question
remains: what will be the outcome of this national tu
mult? Dr. Martinson stated that, “Whether [this] will
be the entirety of the Russian response and what the
Ukrainians will do in counter-response are matters
of utter speculation at this point.” It seems that edu
cated predictions are the only indicators of potential
resolution that exist at this point.
Students’SummerPlans: From Research
at UNC to Tutoring in Vietnam
Julia Dent, managing editor
The spring semester is coming to a close, and
students are getting ready for their summer plans,
from exciting research to travelling across the world.
Lindsay Palberg will be staying in the area and will
be conducting research at the Carolina Population
Center with the University of North Carolina at Cha
pel Hill. She found this research through her advisor
Dr. Carolina Perez, and she will be working with the
faculty fellows on ongoing research projects. “It will
be along the lines of research that emphasize the in
tersection of the population, and health sciences that
incorporates health behaviors and/or health educa
tion,” said Palberg.
Kate Marshall will be interning for the Alli
ance of Baptists in New York City for 10 weeks and
will be working with the Metro Baptist Church. “The
first two weeks I’ll be there. I’ll be working with dif
ferent programs from AIDS outreach to kid’s minis
tries and ESL to food pantries and rooftop gardens,”
said Marshall. “The rest of the time. I’ll help direct a
kids’ camp for children that live in Hell’s Kitchen. I’m
excited to participate in cultural events and explore
outside of my comfort zone with my internship.”
Leanna Pai will be spending three weeks
in Australia’s outback for a study abroad program
through GlobaLinks and LaTrobe University in Mel
bourne. The program focuses on photography, which
interested Pai because she is a photography minor at
Meredith. “It’s a really great opportunity,” said Pai.
“I’ll be learning a lot of photo skills and I’ll be able to
display my work in a gallery and sell it. When we go
to the outback, we’ll have a native Aboriginal guide
showing us around, and we’ll be taking photographs
of the environment.”
Ellyn Elder will also be travelling across
the world, and she will be staying in Vietnam for a
month. “I will be traveling to a small, rural area out
side Hanoi to work in an orphanage run in a Bud
dhist monastery,” said Elder. “I will be caring for the
children in the morning and tutoring the older chib
dren in the afternoon.” She first became interested
in Vietnam while learning about Vietnam in a class
on the Vietnam Conflict in high school and took that
into consideration when deciding on summer plans.
“Vietnam seemed like the perfect place to open my
self to a new culture and completely step outside my
comfort zone.”
STAFF
Editors: Jessica Feltner, Editor in Chief. Julia Dent, Managing Editor. Cody Jeffery, Assistant Editor. Lucia Rynka-Estevez, Layout Editor.
Marlena Brown, News Editor. Maitlyn Healy, A&E and Sports Editor. Rachel Pratl, Editorial Editor. Caitlin Davis, Copy Editor.
Staff Writers: Katy Koop, Alyssa Mathewson, Isabel Benson, Jenny Gerardo, Anita Holliday, Fantasia Evans, Kelly Wallace
The Meredith Herald is produced by students throughout the academic year and is printed by Hinton Press. The paper is funded by the College and through inde
pendent advertising. The opinions expressed in the editorial columns do not necessarily reflect those of the college administration, faculty, or student body.
The policy of this paper requires that submissions be made by 5:00 p.m. the Thursday before publication and that contributors sign all submissions and provide
necessary contact information. The editors and staff welcome submissions meeting the above guidelines.