Speaker 1 00:00:12 Hello, this is Paul Sandrock of Wichita state university, strategic communications. You're listening to the roundhouse podcast. Thank you very much for your time today. We're going to talk to Vlad bonder. Chuck flat is in his second year as a student manager for the Wichita state volleyball team. He's a junior here at Wichita state, majoring in accounting and management information systems. Lad grew up in , which is a Ukrainian city of about 66,000 in the central region of the country. He has family, friends, and Ukraine. So he's here to talk about the Russian invasion, how he's handling this difficult time and how people can reach out and help refugees in the Ukraine. So let's start there glad you're taking money to help, help the refugees, uh, tell people how they can get in contact with you and what the money goes for.
Speaker 2 00:01:02 Uh, well, hello. My name is flat and, um, so yeah, I started collecting the money if you weeks ago. And, uh, I guess the reason why I started doing that is because I just see, you know, I kept checking social media and I saw a little, my friends trying to do something good, like for Ukraine to help them in these difficult times. So I thought that while I'm here, I also got to do something and well, I guess, and I told him to have, could be to collect supplies and try to ship them. But the problem with that is that, well, first of all, it costs a lot to ship. And secondly, it was going to take like a week or two to get stuff there, which can be too long. So I thought that financial, how some, I thought that financial health is the best thing that I can do.
Speaker 2 00:01:53 So, um, the first donation that I sent was about two weeks ago, um, and, uh, I sent that money to my parents and my parents went to my high school that I went to and they talked to the principal and my principal said that my high school served like a home for refugees. And, uh, you know, it was kind of wild to, to hear the story from my mom. But she said, when you walk into the classroom, there's no desks, no computers, nothing. You see, you see a bad mattress, blankets and pillows. So when I sent the first money there, um, once again, my principal gave a list of things that are, that are just, you know, just some essential snacks or socks, just things that everybody could use. So my mom bought a lot of, she texted me to send me pictures to, uh, she bought coffee, tea, sugar, cookies, uh, fruits, vegetables, like I mentioned, socks, um, ramen noodles, some food and Cairns, you know, just the most essential things that anybody could use.
Speaker 2 00:03:05 And the plan is to. So once they pass it to my school, uh, people who work there, they're gonna distribute those in small packages. Let's call those goodie bags and, um, they're gonna, they're gonna distribute them between refugees and soldiers. And then the, um, the second time that I sent money is actually going towards medication. Um, my mom, she, she used to work as a nurse in my hometown, so she still has connections all over. And, uh, you know, she reached out because I told her, Hey, just, just, just find somewhere where this money can go for a good cause. So she reached out to the hospital that she used to work at. And, uh, they said that they could use some essential medicine, like bandages alcohol, just very simple things. So my mom has been shopping for those with my dad.
Speaker 1 00:04:04 Yeah. I will include Vlad's email and Venmo in the show notes, so you can reach them through there. Um, lad, I'll let you tell people what's the best way to get ahold of you. And then coach Chris lamb is also raising money. So you can tell us about those ways to donate.
Speaker 2 00:04:19 So, um, Chris lamb was probably the first one who, you know, who responded like immediately with my idea and fundraiser. And he told me that, okay, tomorrow I'm going to bring a bucket. I'm going to paint it in Ukrainian flag colors, which is blue and yellow, blue represents sky and yellow represents wheat. And he said that I'm going to ride on a Ukrainian bucket and I'm going to walk around and collect donations. And he said that his glove team was supposed to play like that weekend or something. And he said that I will go to my tournament and I will always to their bucket with me so that people can donate money at any time. So I thought it was kind of, you know, it was kind of funny, but it was also very like encouraging. And like, I guess it was just nice to see support from people that that's around me. Um, the best way to get ahold of me is it's either my email or my phone, or if you know me in person just come talk to me. Um, but I mean, yeah, I check my email very regularly, so that's probably the most convenient way for somebody who doesn't know me.
Speaker 1 00:05:30 Okay. And like I said, I will include his email address in the, uh, in the show notes. You'll be able to get ahold of him. I've seen the bucket. That's a very crafty Chris lamb thing to do. He's very good at those kinds of things. So that's, that's what we would expect from him. I think I had tell us about, uh, similar and growing up in Ukraine, give us a sense for what the country is like.
Speaker 2 00:05:53 So the, I guess let's start with geography, the geography in Ukraine, the rise, we, you know, we have regions that are just flat, reminds me of Kansas. We have regions that have more Hills and we have two sets of mountains. We have two accesses to the sea corporate thing where people, where people can go to the beach for some of vacation or, you know, just to have rest or just go for a weekend. Um, my hometown has approximately population of, I want to say 66,000 people. Um, it's in the middle of Ukraine. So it's really convenient to go to, to, to any part of Ukraine. Um, well, I guess, compared to compared to the United States, it's probably quite a big city, but for me, it's always been a small town where everybody knows everybody. So, I mean, I knew, yeah. I mean, I knew a lot of people in my high school and my parents knew their parents. So I would say it's just like a big, like it's a small, big world.
Speaker 1 00:07:05 And tell us about your family.
Speaker 2 00:07:07 Yeah. Um, my dad is a 52 years old and my mom is 49. Um, my dad, he used to work as an engineer back in your CSR. He would, um, he would, uh, work creating like TVs, televisions, and my mom, she was a nurse. And then I also have a brother who is 31 years old. And he is actually from Kiev, which is the capital of Ukraine. And he has a wife who who's a cosmetologist and a dentist. And, and he also has a son who is two years old.
Speaker 1 00:07:50 I've learned borscht is a big favorite in, uh, in Ukraine. Tell us about the food, the customs, those kinds of, those kinds of things.
Speaker 2 00:07:58 Um, when I firstly came to the U S I guess I was probably, well, I was kind of surprised how much people like to eat out here. And if I compare it to, to where I grew up, people, people cook at home a lot. So I'm always used to seeing homemade stuff. Somebody is always at the kitchen making dinner or software or breakfast. Uh, so I mean, yeah, I mean, I miss food from back home, but I also can't complain about food here. It's, it's pretty good as well.
Speaker 1 00:08:33 What's your favorite food in Ukraine?
Speaker 2 00:08:36 Like you mentioned, it's, it's, boarish definitely.
Speaker 1 00:08:39 And describe Porsche.
Speaker 2 00:08:41 It's a, it's a soup that, so it's a kind of soup that's cooked from beet. And it also, like usually you make it with some kind of meat too, which, which is, which adds like the texture and, and it also as well, a bit of flavor to it, But I mean, usually you just take like a bowl of Warsh and you take a piece of bread and it's, it's really good.
Speaker 1 00:09:09 And that's the meal, that's the meal. How did you, how did you get into volleyball?
Speaker 2 00:09:14 Um, I want to say I was 13 years old and I always loved soccer, so I've been always playing soccer. And then at some point I saw just a bunch of people like passing the vulnerable bull around and, um, you know, and I looked at them and I looked kind of fun. So I came to them and I was like, Hey, what are you guys doing? They're like, oh, we're just, you know, just playing volleyball. And I was like, well, cool. Like, can I try? And, uh, that's kind of how it all started.
Speaker 1 00:09:45 And is volleyball a big sport in Ukraine? Give us a sense for the popularity.
Speaker 2 00:09:50 Um, well, number one, sport is soccer. And then I would say between number two and number three, it's basketball. And they're kind of, they're kind of pretty equal, I would say
Speaker 1 00:10:05 Was Ukraine's most famous male athlete.
Speaker 2 00:10:10 Um, it's probably on the reach of Chemco or we tally shift. Uh, it's probably on the reach of Chanco who is a soccer player. And he played for Chelsea, which is a soccer club in England for many, many years. And then he coached our national soccer team And they were doing pretty good when he was a coach. But I think that he retired like one year or two years ago.
Speaker 1 00:10:43 How about female athlete? Who would be the most well-known,
Speaker 2 00:10:47 Uh, female athletes. It's, it's hard to say if we have like a world known female athlete, but we have a few good track athletes that when championships around Europe.
Speaker 3 00:11:02 Okay.
Speaker 1 00:11:04 Tell us about your journey to the United States. How did you get here?
Speaker 2 00:11:10 My journey started in 2017 when I came, when I came to the states as an exchange student, my exchange year was in a little town near which doc called Rose Hill. And, uh, I guess the kind of weird part was that when I came here, I was 16 years old and I just finished my, my sophomore year in high school, back home. But when I came here, they put me as a senior. So I guess it was kind of strange to be, to be around kids who are two years older than me. And they're about to graduate, go to college while I'm still a high school student, but it was, it was definitely a great experience. I learned a lot, met a lot of people. My, my view on the world just changed completely.
Speaker 1 00:12:02 So how did your experience in Rose Hill as an exchange student? How did that change your view on the world?
Speaker 2 00:12:08 You know, I feel like it just it's like the more you travel and the more you see, the more you see how other things work, the more it changes your view on the world. And, uh, like I said, you just, you learn a lot and you start thinking, so here's a simple example back in Ukraine, uh, like given a handshake, it's very, very common and you do it all the time. You know, if you meet a friend or if you make your dad or your uncle or your grandpa while here is probably not as common. And, uh, you know, when you, when you experience both ways of doing things, you start thinking, okay, you know, which way, which way do I like more, or which way I feel like it's more appropriate or just, just a better way. And I feel like those little details when you get a lot of them. And when you start thinking about them, it kind of helps to, to form you as an individual. That makes sense.
Speaker 1 00:13:11 Sure. So you learn Americans like to go out to eat. What else did you learn about Americans? What are other impressions? Did you, did you get,
Speaker 2 00:13:18 I think the most, like the most popular one is that Americans love sport. It's, you know, it's really hard to, to go somewhere and to meet somebody who has not played sports at all in their life or in their childhood.
Speaker 1 00:13:34 Have you picked up an American sport that you didn't know much about in Ukraine that you now enjoy?
Speaker 2 00:13:39 Yeah, I, uh, I try to watch baseball. They're my favorite, but I do love football.
Speaker 1 00:13:47 Football's entertaining baseball. I've tried to explain baseball to people from another country. And when you start explaining it, you do kind of get how kind of ridiculous the sport is. In some ways I enjoy it, but it is, it can be difficult to follow. No doubt. Okay. You're at Rose Hill, you go to Cali college for a year. How did you end up at Wichita state?
Speaker 2 00:14:07 Uh, it was kind of, it was kind of random. I think it was like mid middle of June. And, and, you know, and out of nowhere I just get an email from Chelsea Scott. Who's an assistant coach at, which does state for volleyball program and the, she just sends me an email and she says, hi, this is Chelsea. I'm an assistant coach, which does state. And I was wondering if you're interested in potentially becoming a and potentially becoming available manager for the upcoming year. And I said, yes.
Speaker 1 00:14:42 And she knew you through shockwave volleyball club. Yes.
Speaker 2 00:14:45 Correct.
Speaker 1 00:14:46 Okay. Got it. Uh, and so, yeah. What was the attraction of being part of the shopper volleyball program?
Speaker 2 00:14:54 Well, I guess to begin with volleyball, volleyball is a sport that I absolutely love, and it's something that I've been really interested and passionate about over the past years. And then secondly, I feel like becoming part of a D one program. The one successful program is a huge, it's a huge opportunity that not everybody gets and they can also benefit you a lot because you get to see the game at another level at a way higher level than, than, than, than most places.
Speaker 1 00:15:29 When's the last time you went home?
Speaker 2 00:15:32 Uh, last time I went to Ukraine was over the summer break. So it would've been summer 2021. And I left, uh, I wanna say was, and of may actually, no, it was, I think it was in the middle of my, because my, my brother has a birthday on May 19th. So, so I came right before his birthday and, uh, and I stayed there all the way till, so I spent the whole June and I got to travel around Ukraine. I also went to Chernobyl in the end of June, and then I came back on the beginning of July.
Speaker 1 00:16:13 So we're recording this on Wednesday afternoon, Wednesday morning, uh, Ukrainian presidents, Alaska Zaleski, uh, smoked before Congress showed a video of Ukraine before the invasion Ukraine currently, he was asking for support from the United States. You watched that it apparently it was very successful. Uh, got a lot of support, a lot of applause from the people in Congress. Well, what was your reaction to, to his speech and that in the film?
Speaker 2 00:16:40 So I've been following a lot is Alinsky's, uh, speeches, because I guess one of the ways for me to, to receive real official information and updates about what's going on and, uh, you know, I think that, uh, he's a great, I think that he's a great speaker in front of the audience and, you know, it's kind of hard for me to tell if it's just from his experience in the past, or if it's because of how hyped up and how you know, and how, like how big of a Patriot he is right now, or maybe just a combination of both. But I definitely like to hear him talk because like, you can just, I mean, to me, to me, it just feels like he's being very sincere with what he says. And I think that that's, that's great.
Speaker 1 00:17:36 So take us back over the last few months. When did you begin to be concerned about, uh, the possibility of an invasion?
Speaker 2 00:17:46 Um, I feel like, you know, it was, it was honestly really hard to believe that it's actually gonna happen. And, uh, you know, when I talked to my friends or my family, we're always kind of like discussing like what I've, what I've, but like we all, we're all hoping that what it will never actually happen So well, I guess, yeah, it was, it was extremely hard to believe that there is now word. There is now a reality, not just, not just like an assumption and or somebody's imagination.
Speaker 1 00:18:23 You told me about a phone call from your brother. Uh, take, take us through that. And, uh, I guess that was kind of maybe the beginning of the most stressful portion of this for you.
Speaker 2 00:18:34 Yeah, for sure. Um, so the, the difference between time and Kansas and time in Ukraine, where I grew up is eight hours. So Ukraine is eight hours ahead of us. So I was going back from, from volleyball court, from volleyball club practice. And I, you know, and I see that my brother was calling me. And at that time it was 10:00 PM here in Kansas. So in my head, you know, I did the math and I realized that it was six in the morning. And the, my, my brother is never, like, he's never up at 6:00 AM in the morning. So I pick up a phone, you know, and I already know that something is not good. And the first thing he says, he said the worst started, they attacked.
Speaker 2 00:19:20 And, uh, like that just hit me right away. And, uh, you know, I was like, okay, like, what's happening? What are you going to do? And he told me that, like I mentioned before, he lives in Kiev. And he said that you can hear explosions from different, like from different directions. And, uh, the electricity is off on the other side of the key. And he said that they're showing on the news that they didn't only attack ki. They also thought they also attacked Harkey, which is another big city. And, uh, I want to say there were a few Moore's because they started attacking right away, like multiple locations.
Speaker 1 00:20:06 So what kind of emotions are running through your mind at this at this time, as you know, things have started and your family is, you know, is in the middle of it.
Speaker 2 00:20:18 I feel like for me, it's still, it's still hard to realize that it's actually happening because when I see the recordings from, from some of those places, you know, I remember myself like spending time there or taking pictures. For example, if we're talking about key, if I've been there many, many, many times, and for me, it's just heartbreaking to see, to see how to see how now, instead of people walking, you see walking and you see tanks driving around. So I guess, I guess the emotions that I'm going through is still not, not willing to accept that it's reality. And, uh, some kind of, it's like a mixture of, of sadness and sadness and being angry and being frustrated, you know, and just, just hoping that that is all going to add as soon as possible.
Speaker 1 00:21:17 How well are you able to keep up with family, with friends, checking on them, hearing from them?
Speaker 2 00:21:24 Well, the first few days after, you know, after the war started, uh, I barely slept both days and I, I didn't go to work. I didn't do homework. Um, you know, and I was constantly just checking news, calling my friends, calling my brother, calling my parents. So that's kind of the way how my first few days went and it was just really hard for me to, to motivate myself to do something. But then at some points, you know, I started to, like, I just started to, to accept that things are not great there, but I'm not there, which is once again, I mean, it's a good and a bad thing for me, but basically, basically I started to tell myself that, that I just need that. I just need to keep going, regardless of what's happening. And that's kind of how I started like to get back into normal routine.
Speaker 1 00:22:20 What type of support are you getting from classmates friends around Wichita state people in the volleyball program?
Speaker 2 00:22:27 To be honest, it was, to be honest, I was kind of surprised with how many people were, were trying to support me, trying to call, text me, or just tell me like words of support when they see me in person. And, uh, well, I guess, like I said, I was kinda surprise because some of those people, you know, last time I talked, uh, last time or last time I heard from them was like a few years ago, but they still remembered where I'm from and they reached out and I thought that that was, you know, it was just nice to like, to know that I'm not alone in this difficult time.
Speaker 1 00:23:06 What is not getting out about the situation or about Ukraine? What are Americans not hearing that maybe it would be helpful or instructive for them to know about?
Speaker 2 00:23:17 Um, frankly speaking, I don't really watch much news here. Um, but I feel like, but I feel like overall the information that people are receiving here about grain, I would say it's pretty accurate overall because like I mentioned before, well, like I mentioned before, many people were supporting me, which, which means that news here, but, um, about what was happening around the world and they, you know, and they share the information the proper way.
Speaker 1 00:23:53 So you, how you have class, uh, you have volleyball, they're on spring break now, but you're in the midst of spring volleyball practice. You've got things going on. How do you handle that? The stress of I've got this, these things going on at home, but yet I've still got a life here.
Speaker 2 00:24:10 Um, to be honest, partially it's par partially, it feels more like a relief to me because all those things, they keep me, they keep me busy. They keep me distracted from, from the news. But I definitely, you know, but I definitely think about it all the time. And I definitely check as much as I can, like on the people who are poor deal to me,
Speaker 1 00:24:35 You said one of the things you want to do accomplish was to spread good information. You think it's important that people are getting the right, right, right. Information from the right sources to people, some advice, what, what sources can they do you feel like they can trust that are giving, uh, uh, you know, uh, an accurate portrayal of the situation?
Speaker 2 00:24:52 Um, what I do is I try to check multiple sources of news. So for example, in my case, besides just watching Ukrainian news, I also tried to, to watch some of the Russian news and, uh, you know, sometimes, sometimes I hear about things that, that even American news talk about here. So once I have, if you, once I have, if you like generators of news, then part of it is just common sense. Part of it is larger, but it just kind of start putting things together and you like, you start, you start realizing what you should trust more. Okay.
Speaker 1 00:25:34 Okay. Well, I thank you very much for your time. Once again, you can donate to, uh, to Vlad and they will help out the refugees and Ukraine has been using the money for, for food, for basic things, medical supplies, those kinds of things, back in Ukraine to help the people that are that, uh, that need the help. I will put the information for contacting lad into the show notes for this flag. Thanks very much. We appreciate your time. Thank
Speaker 2 00:26:00 You.
Speaker 4 00:26:14 Hi, this is Rick. I'm a president of Wichita state university. Check out the latest episode of the forward together podcast. Each episode, I sit down with different guests from Shakur nations and celebrate the vision and mission of Wichita state university. Listen, wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 5 00:26:42 Thank for listening to the roundhouse podcast, courtesy of Wichita state university, strategic communications. We appreciate your time. We encourage you to rate review, subscribe, wherever you get your podcasts, such as on iTunes or Google play. You can find more roundhouse
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Speaker 6 00:27:04 And they let him pass it up court. And then it gets picked off a long three by PENGOS. No good. One second. It's over. It is over. And what your task has beaten. The number one team in the nation to go to the sweet 16, go crazy. What Utah.
