In January, I wrote a letter to John B. King, Jr., chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY), to address a concern raised by students taking classes in the New York State Pathways in Technology (NYS P-Tech) program. Despite a number of COVID requirements and mandates finally being relaxed, there remain a number of students at risk of being removed from the program due to inconsistent rules still governing students and teachers.

At the heart of the issue are students in high school who are engaging in hands-on learning programs at a P-Tech partner college that still requires students to be vaccinated. There is no mandate for K-12 students, nor faculty at the colleges hosting P-Tech programming, yet students in high school who have decided not to get vaccinated are at risk of being forced out of this successful program due to inconsistent rules. 

Teachers are allowed to be on campus without vaccination. Students are allowed to be in their traditional classrooms without vaccination. But P-Tech students at Onondaga Community College are required to be vaccinated by April 1 or be removed from the program. What is the logic here? Unfortunately, I have not received a response from the SUNY chancellor, and the situation continues to lack clarity for students with less than a month before the deadline hits.

The P-Tech program is an integral part of the state’s workforce-development initiatives. Students are given an opportunity to earn an associate degree in applied science in high-tech fields, and they are able to do so with little or no costs incurred. This program, for many students in my district and other rural areas, offers an opportunity to make competitive wages directly out of high school. These students go on to take jobs in fields sorely lacking available human resources, and they are able to do so without taking on the hefty student loans others are saddled with upon graduation from a traditional four-year university or college.

Disrupting these students’ education and contributions to their communities over inconsistent vaccine policies hurts both the students and the local economy. For this reason, I am hopeful the chancellor can develop an exemption program for students in this unique position.

I have heard from a number of individuals in recent weeks who have expressed serious concerns about their status in the program, especially as deadlines to provide proof of vaccination are quickly approaching. The onset of COVID-19 was something unlike many of us have ever seen, but too many policies in New York have not accounted for waning strains of the virus and the natural immunity many have developed in the past three years. There is no reason students who choose not to be vaccinated at this time should face a disruption in their education, and I sincerely hope the SUNY system finds a way to remedy this unfortunate situation soon.        

William (Will) A. Barclay, 54, Republican, is the New York Assembly minority leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses all of Oswego County, as well as parts of Jefferson and Cayuga counties.

It’s been a year since Russia launched its brutal invasion of Ukraine, and a lot has happened in that time. Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked war has caused unspeakable destruction and suffering. At the same time, Ukrainians have inspired the world with their brave resistance.

When the invasion began, some Western officials said privately that they expected a quick conflict, with Kyiv falling within weeks if not days. They were wrong.

But the war has created challenges: for Ukraine, most obviously, but also for the United States and our allies. As the fighting rages on, it will test Americans’ patience and resolve. And it will test the ability of America and our allies to stay united in opposing Russian aggression.

The war has produced well over 100,000 military casualties, and thousands of civilians have been killed, including children and elderly people. Russia has targeted industry and civilian infrastructure with missiles and bombs. We’ve all seen the photographs: destroyed buildings, scenes of desolation, overwhelmed hospitals. Millions of refugees have fled the country.

But Ukraine’s response has been remarkable. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the 44-year-old president, has rallied his people and won global support. A former actor and political outsider, he was thrown into the role of being a wartime leader and has performed impressively.

And the world has come to Ukraine’s defense, providing monetary aid and an escalating array of weapons while imposing sanctions on Russia. Some leaders initially worried that backing Ukraine could risk a catastrophic conflict with nuclear-armed Russia, but support has held steady. Putin’s recklessness has left Russia isolated.

President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Feb. 20 to meet with Zelenskyy and show solidarity. NATO has stood by Ukraine, and so has the European Union, even though the war has disrupted food and energy supplies and fueled inflation. At the Munich Security Conference last month in Germany, leaders of dozens of countries pledged unity. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris accused Russia of crimes against humanity: “gruesome acts of murder, torture, rape and deportation.”

Global public opinion has remained consistent, according to an Ipsos poll in January. Two-thirds of respondents follow news of the war, believe in supporting Ukraine and favor taking in refugees. The U.S. has provided generous support to Ukraine, including $45 billion in a year-end budget measure approved by Congress. After much pleading by Zelenskyy, the U.S. provided a Patriot missile battery and promised 31 M1 Abrams tanks.

Biden has promised to back Ukraine for “as long as it takes,” but U.S. officials have reportedly told Zelenskyy that they can’t promise indefinite support. American public opinion is supportive of Ukraine but divided on how much help to provide. It’s worrisome that the divisions reflect partisan lines.

According to a Pew Research Center survey, only about a quarter of Americans say we are giving too much aid to Ukraine, but the figure has begun to grow. Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, 40 percent say U.S. support is too generous. Some 43 percent of Americans, but only 27 percent of Republicans, approve of Biden’s handling of the conflict.

With Republicans now in control of the House of Representatives, congressional support for Ukraine may weaken. Some conservative members argue we should pay less attention to Ukraine and more to problems at home, like border security and inflation. The 2024 election could widen divisions.

It’s a reminder that, in a representative democracy like ours, foreign policy and domestic policy can never be entirely separate. If the American people lose interest in the war — or if they blame it for inflation and conclude it distracts from problems at home — it may become harder to support Ukraine. This will be a real test for Biden’s leadership and American resolve.            

Lee Hamilton, 91, is a senior advisor for the Indiana University (IU) Center on Representative Government, distinguished scholar at the IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, and professor of practice at the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Hamilton, a Democrat, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years (1965-1999), representing a district in south-central Indiana.