UNA resort has a new Miss Soyuzivka, or two, for its 50th anniversary jubilee year (09/01/02)

UNA resort has a new Miss Soyuzivka, or two, for its 50th anniversary jubilee year

by Sonia Semanyshyn

KERHONKSON, N.Y. - Over the weekend of August 9-11 a new Miss Soyuzivka was crowned during the Ukrainian National Association estate's 50th anniversary year.

For the first time since 1956, when Tamara Sahajdachna was chosen as the first Miss Soyuzivka, there was a tie for first place in the judges' voting. The winners were Lydia Rajsz, 21, of Edison, N.J., and Michelle Odomirok, 19, of Thiells, N.Y.

Ms. Rajsz is a junior majoring in biology and working toward teacher certification at Kean University. She is a member of the Syzokryli dance troupe directed by Roma Pryma Bohachevsky.

Ms. Odomirok, a student at St. Thomas Aquinas College, is active with the Ukrainian American Youth Association (SUM), where she is a youth counselor, and the Yunist Ukrainian Dance Ensemble.

The first runner-up was 18-year-old Christina Rajsz (yes, she's Lydia's sister), who received a free week's stay at Soyuzivka, while the second-runner up slot produced yet another tie, with Acya Fedun and Olga Olach receiving a free weekend stay at the resort.

The younger Ms. Rajsz is a freshman at Seton Hall University. She is a member of the Syzokryli and has been a youth counselor at camps held at both the Soyuzivka and Verkhovyna resorts.

Ms. Fedun, 22, hails from Rumson, N.J., and is a member of Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization. She is active in the Ukrainian Professionals and Businesspersons Association, attended the Harvard Ukrainian Summer Institute, and lists Ukrainian dancing as a hobby. She holds a B.S. from New Mexico Tech.

Seventeen-year-old Ms. Olach is a native of Lviv, Ukraine, who now resides in Brooklyn, N.Y. She is active at The Ukrainian Museum in New York City and is a graduate of St. George Academy. Her hobbies include Ukrainian dancing.

The weekend's events began on Friday evening with music of a different sort in the Trembita Lounge. The Saints of Swing, a seven-piece band, featuring vocalist Rene Bailey, is an extraordinary collective of some of the area's finest musicians, specializing in swing, spicy New Orleans-style Dixieland, down-and-dirty blues and even foot-stomping Gospel. Their performance was a new experience at Soyuzivka.

The next day was a beautiful Saturday, and guests enjoyed being outside, hiking, swimming or just lounging around on the Veselka Patio (luckily it was not one of those blisteringly hot and humid days the region had been exposed to earlier in the week). Everyone's spirits were high.

As the day progressed, contest coordinator Stephanie Hawryluk received applications from some beautiful young ladies. (There were a couple of gentlemen trying to sneak into the contest ...) By the start of the judging session there were seven Miss Soyuzivka hopefuls.

The judges had a difficult time reaching a verdict, as all the applicants were very highly qualified and lovely young ladies with Dean's List or National Honor Society credentials. The deliberations took well into the evening and not until 12:30 a.m. were the winners announced.

During the judges' deliberations the well-known and loved Tempo orchestra played for the guests' enjoyment, while the students and counselors from dance camp under the direction of Ms. Pryma-Bohachevsky entertained everyone with a rousing "Kolomyika."

The judges this year included a celebrity guest judge, Michelle Metrinko Rollins. As Miss U.S.A., she represented the United States in the Miss World contest in London in 1964. In 1965 she judged her first Miss Soyuzivka contest with Ukrainian American actors Jack Palance and Mike Mazurki.

Alex Chudolij, a former UNA adviser and district chairman for Rhode Island; Bohdanka Puzyk, children's activities director at Soyuzivka; and Marianka Wasylyk, Miss Soyuzivka 1993 and the emcee for the evening's program, rounded out the panel of judges.

Both young ladies chosen to share the crown of Miss Soyuzivka are the recipients of $ 500 stipends ($500 was provided by the UNA and a matching $500 came from an anonymous donor) and a week's vacation at Soyuzivka.

The management and staff of Soyuzivka and the UNA thanked all the young ladies for their participation in the Miss Soyuzivka festivities, and the judges and Mrs. Hawryluk for their hard work and efforts that ensured the pageant's smooth functioning. A special thank you went to Mrs. Rollins and her family for honoring Soyuzivka with their presence.

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