Eyes on Ukraine

Dear members of the Kenyon community,

As I watch the events unfolding in Ukraine, I am moved by both the strength and fragility of democracy, and the lengths ordinary people, a nation and increasingly the world will go to defend freedom. Kenyon College stands united with institutions across the globe calling for a diplomatic and peaceful resolution to the assault on the people of Ukraine. 

Our thoughts are with the members of the Kenyon community whose family and friends may be directly affected by the violence, and whose experience of this crisis is both personal and deeply traumatic. Colleagues in the Center for Global Engagement have reached out to offer comfort and support to students with ties to the region. I encourage anyone in the Kenyon community who is having difficulty processing the events of the last several days to seek assistance from the Chaplains, the Cox Health and Counseling Center, or the Employee Assistance Program.

As a community of learners, one of the most important actions we can take is to better understand the events that led to the current crisis. To that end, I invite you to join members of the Kenyon faculty for a panel discussion tomorrow; it will be livestreamed for those unable to join us in Higley Hall.

The Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Understanding the Current Crisis
Wednesday, March 2, 4:10 p.m. — Higley Hall Auditorium

• Eliza Ablovatski, Associate Professor of History
• Anna Aydinyan, Assistant Professor of Russian
• David Rowe, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for American Democracy
• Joseph Klesner, Professor of Political Science (moderator) 

I would like to express my sincere thanks to the faculty leading tomorrow’s discussion. In times like these, I always have more questions than answers. I welcome the opportunity to grapple with many of these questions together — and, in doing so, to demonstrate our shared commitment to a more just and peaceful world.