The orange ribbon tied around the neck of the statue of Ben Franklin this week is not a gesture of holiday spirit -- it represents support for free and fair elections in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Society at Penn launched a week-long campaign yesterday to demonstrate approval for the country's Supreme Court decision to hold another presidential election Dec. 26.
In the Nov. 21 election, current Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych was declared the winner, yet suspicion of election fraud quickly surfaced. The Penn campaign mirrors protests in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, where supporters of opposition candidate Viktor Yuschenko have taken to the streets and declared an "Orange Revolution," as orange is Yuschenko's official campaign color.
In addition to decorating Franklin's statue, the Ukrainian Society at Penn has planned a number of activities to demonstrate their support for the Orange Revolution, Engineering freshman and Society member Tricia Leskiw said.
"We went around and orange-ribboned Locust Walk," she said. "We are also handing out these orange ribbons to promote democracy in Ukraine and we are holding a round-table discussion Thursday."
Leskiw said the Society's actions promote not only Yuschenko but also long-term democracy in Ukraine.
"We are supporting free elections," she said. "They are having so many issues with corruption and fraudulent elections."
The outcome of the Dec. 26 election will affect Penn students because of its effect on the global community, Leskiw said.
"We are a very liberal campus," she said. "We are all for democracy."
Fourth-year Arts and Sciences graduate student Samuel Willcocks, who is also a member of the Ukrainian Society, said that the future of the country matters to him even though he is not of Ukrainian descent.
"I quite like elections where votes get counted," Willcocks said. "Even though my citizenship isn't Ukrainian and my family isn't Ukrainian, I am still in favor of democracy in Europe in places where there previously hasn't been any."
Leskiw said she is confident that the results will favor Yuschenko, assuming no additional fraud occurs.
"Hopefully, if everything goes smoothly, there will be no doubt about the winner," Leskiw said.
Until then, Penn students within and outside of the Ukrainian Society will continue to show their support.
College senior Prashant Shankar said he plans to wear an orange ribbon for the remainder of the week.
"I just have to find a place to put it on," he said.
