Cornell Ukrainian Club hosts third annual pysanka workshop

by Taras Czebiniak

ITHACA, N.Y. - The Ukrainian Club of Cornell University held its third annual Ukrainian Easter Egg Workshop which opened the world of pysanky to a large Cornell audience.

About 170 pysanky were made by some 140 visitors, with many more coming through and enjoying large informational displays on the history and symbolism of pysanky, several varieties of traditional Ukrainian Easter food, and the sweet aroma of melted beeswax permeating one of the most visited spaces on Cornell's campus.

"It was a great triumph," concluded Assistant Dean of Academic Advising Patricia Wasyliw, who also serves as the club's staff adviser.

From the first event two years ago, the number of attendees has grown two- or threefold into an event that now spans eight hours.

Outgoing and incoming treasurers Larissa Bell and Chris Quinn helped me pull funding from three different sources on Cornell's campus. The first source, as usual, was the Student Assembly, which is sometimes restrictive in its funding rules and would not supply the essential chicken eggs. Next, the club made friends with the International Students Programming Board, which filled in the gaps in its financial needs and commented on how well organized the Ukrainian Club was in its presentation.

Finally, the club approached the Russian Department just several days before the event, and the department's chair, Nancy Pollack, took quick action in agreeing to co-sponsor the event. "We'd be glad to have a working relationship with the Ukrainian Club," she commented in a generous gesture.

With some 35 dyes, over 50 kistkas, and 250 total eggs - all pre-blown by assiduous and determined club members - we were ready to have over 50 people working on their pysanky at any one time. With the Ukrainian flag hanging over them, the visitors spontaneously offered each other help in art and technique in true Ukrainian spirit.

Taking a break between colors or between eggs, visitors could enjoy fresh Ukrainian paska with soft butter along with Eastern European "kabanosy" and "khrustyky" thanks to two visitors - and members' Ukrainian moms - from nearby Binghamton, Sonia Bell and Chrystina Czebiniak.

Ms. Wasyliw, whose husband, Zenon Wasyliw, an Ithaca College professor, and daughter Vika joined her at the workshop, summed up the typical visitor's reaction to the event's overall offerings, saying "We had a lovely time."

But the day was not without its mishaps. One visitor, Cornell linguistics senior Katharine Pan, recounted: "I had a lot of fun and was there for five hours. I dropped my second egg ... when I was using the paint thinner [to clear off excess wax]. I'm so sad!" Luckily, clean-up is rather mess-free when using pre-blown eggs, and Ms. Pan did bring home one beautiful egg.

The Ukrainian Club members say they enjoy working with the productive and culturally alert student body at Cornell. President Renia Soluk proudly noted that "the Pysanka Workshop enhances the culture of the Cornell community, which becomes more aware of us as Ukrainians." Similarly, many visitors with cross-cultural backgrounds made active use of their own culture in designing their own unique and thoughtful pysanky.

Readers may contact Cornell Ukrainian Club at ukrainians@cornell.edu.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, April 16, 2006, No. 16, Vol. LXXIV

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