UKELODEON: For The Next Generation (10/13/02)

UKELODEON

For The Next Generation

Two weeks at Korea-U.S.A. Science and Engineering Summer Camp

by Ulyana Horodyskyj

Many students dream of traveling to exotic, far-off places during their summer vacations. But how many of them actually get to go?

It was the middle of April when I received a call from a representative of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington. He informed me that I was one of 21 students selected in a nationwide search to represent the United States in the first Korea-U.S.A. Science and Engineering Summer Camp (KUSEC) in South Korea.

I was filled with excitement, but I also felt a little trepidation. Would I be ready to fulfill this ambassadorial role with dignity? Would I be able to get along with everybody? Despite these uncertainties, I knew that this was going to be an unforgettable trip.

On July 15, after weeks of anticipation and preparation, I was ready to depart. With my suitcase and backpack, I was off to the airport and San Francisco for orientation. It was here that our group of students and teacher-chaperones finally had a chance to meet face-to-face for the first time.

The next morning we boarded a Korean Airlines 757 jet for a 12-hour flight to Incheon, near Seoul. After clearing customs, we continued on a three-hour bus ride to the Korean Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, where we were joined by 28 Korean students.

Now the fun was ready to begin. Little did I know how scientifically and culturally challenging the next two weeks would turn out to be.

The whole point of KUSEC 2002 was for Korean and U.S. students to work together to reach common scientific goals. We were split up into seven different research groups to work on topics ranging from chemistry to robotics under the supervision of top Korean researchers and college professors. I was placed in the aerospace research group. Our goal was to build and test a micro aerial vehicle (MAV). In other words, we worked on tiny reconnaissance vehicles. In the very near future, these MAVs will be very practical not only for the military, but also for rescue operations, since these vehicles can go where humans cannot.

I learned a lot during my two weeks in Korea: how to build and fly MAVs; how to eat spicy Korean food; how to break (or not, in my case!) a board in Tae Kwon Do; how to wear traditional Korean clothes: and how to make green tea.

But most importantly, I learned about the power of communication, patience and trust. It was not always easy to communicate with the Korean students and professors. Most spoke English well, but with others communication presented more of a challenge. In addition, they were not used to seeing girls in traditionally male roles, but once they saw what we could do, they were happy to work with us.

KUSEC helped me grow as a person - it has made me more patient, more daring and more outgoing. I did not have to worry about what others would think of me - I could just be myself. This experience has given me the courage to be who I am and stay that way no matter what.

Not only did I need patience when communicating with the Koreans, but I also needed a lot of patience when working on the MAV. These vehicles were small and used tiny electronic components, some of which burned out constantly and needed to be replaced. We had a few crash landings, too. But that is what research is all about. If we knew how things would turn out, it would not be research!

In addition to spending time in labs, we also had a chance to explore the country. On the weekends we traveled to various cities and immersed ourselves in the sights and sounds of another land. At the Buyeo Cultural Center we learned to play the Korean drums, made pottery and took rubbings from 1,500-year-old stone carvings. We also went to DaeChun Beach where the annual Mud Festival was being held. Needless to say, I totally "immersed" myself in the celebration. In addition, I learned Tae Kwon Do and had the chance to spar with another student. My partner and I decided to make the same move at the same time and I wound up flat on the floor.

Our last weekend trip was the best one. We traveled all the way to Andong, a five-hour bus ride, to the Korean Manner School. There, we learned how to put on traditional Korean attire and how to make green tea. We also went to the HaHoe Village and watched the time-honored mask dances. It was hard to follow the action without knowing the language, but the music was entertaining. The next day we visited a Buddhist grotto at sunrise. Watching the sun peek over the horizon while the Buddhists chanted a greeting was incredible.

All too quickly, the last day arrived. Two weeks was hardly enough time to see and do much in Korea. At the farewell dinner, I was asked to speak on behalf of the United States delegation. There was so much to say!

KUSEC opened my eyes in so many ways. It was great to see that there are students in other countries that are just as enthusiastic about "doing science" as I am. But research was not the only thing we did. We learned about Korean culture, food and customs. KUSEC was a great learning experience for me and really taught me not to take things for granted. It gave me a new perspective on life. I made many new friends, experienced many new things, and came back home with a lifetime's worth of memories. I know that I will never forget KUSEC 2002.

What made the experience especially worthwhile was all the people I got to meet and work with. Somewhere, somehow, we'll meet again. Friends forever! I have no doubt about that!

Ulyana Horodyskyj is a student at Padua Franciscan High School in Parma Ohio.

65 students attend Vacation Church School at Parma cathedral

PARMA, Ohio - The ninth annual Vacation Church School was sponsored in August here at St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral. This year's program followed the theme "Miracles of the Bible." Over 65 students participated in arts and crafts, religious lectures and music. As part of the program, the children placed flowers at the base of the Famine Monument on the grounds of the cathedral as the clergy spoke about the forced starvation of the Ukrainian people in 1932-1933. Pictured on the right are participants of the 2002 Vacation Church School.

Children's book author gets rave reviews

Canadian Ukrainian author Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, who is know for her books for children and young adults, has been singled out for recognition by both her readers, and teachers and librarians.

Ms. Skrypuch's most recent novel for teenagers, "Hope's War," has been nominated for the 2003 Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award. "This is one of those programs where kids read the books and vote on the winner, so I am really thrilled," Ms. Skrypuch commented.

"Hope's War," published in 2001 by Dundurn Press, tells the story of 15-year old Kat (Kataryna) Baliuk, a fine arts student who hopes to have a fresh start at a new school for the arts after a less than successful year at another high school. The stresses of fitting into a new school, making new friends and finding the right outlet for her talent take second place when her family becomes the center of a media storm. Her grandfather, Danylo Baliuk, is accused by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police of being a policeman for the Nazis in World War II Ukraine.

Ms. Skrypuch recently explained to an audience in Toronto how it happened that she wrote this book for 12- to 16-year-olds. She emphasized that the focus of the book is not wartime Ukraine but the issue of justice in Canada today and that it deals with a human rights issue.

Joan Marshall, who reviewed the book for CM Magazine, noted: "But it is the theme of 'Hope's War' that is its real power: should visual images and first impressions lead us to judge others?" CM Magazine, a journal geared to teachers and librarians, gave the book its highest recommendation of four stars.

Ms. Skrypuch is also the author of "Enough," a work of fiction for younger children set in Ukraine at the time of the Great Famine of 1932-1933. Illustrated by Michael Martchenko, this picture book was published in 2000 in Canada by Fitzhenry and Whiteside; a U.S. edition was released in 2001. A Ukrainian-language version of the book, titled "Dosyt," was published by the Ukrainian Language Education Center, Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies.

Ms. Skrypuch's first book, released in 1994, is another children's book on a Ukrainian theme that also features art work by Mr. Martchenko. "Silver Threads" is a tale about pioneer settlers in western Canada and the hardships of homesteading, as well as the injustice they face in the form of the internment operations of World War I, when Ukrainians and other Europeans were unjustly labeled as "enemy aliens."

Next month Ms. Skrypuch will become a touring author as the Canadian Children's Book Center will send her to schools and libraries throughout Manitoba during Children's Book Week November 2 - 8. Perhaps some of UKELODEON's readers will be lucky enough to meet her in person. (PS: If you do have this opportunity, why not write about it and let UKELODEON know what you thought of Ms. Skrypuch and her book?)

Mishanyna

This month's "Mishanyna" is special because it has a bilingual, English-Ukrainian, twist. Find the names of the trees listed below - and their Ukrainian-language equivalents transliterated into English. At the same time you will be learning some new Ukrainian words!

apple - yablunia, ash - yasen, aspen - osyka, beech - buk, birch - bereza, cedar - kedr, chestnut - kashtan, fir - yalytsia, linden - lypa, maple - klen, oak - dub, pear - hrushka, pine -sosna, poplar - topolia, spruce - smereka, sycamore - yavir, willow - verba

OUR NEXT ISSUE: UKELODEON is published on the second Sunday of every month. To make it into our next issue, dated November 10, please send in your materials by November 1.

CONTACT: UKELODEON, c/o The Ukrainian Weekly, 2200 Route 10, P.O. Box 280, Parsippany, NJ 07054; fax, (973) 644-9510. Call us at (973) 292-9800; or send e-mail to staff@ukrweekly.com. (We ask all contributors to please include a daytime phone number.)

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