UKELODEON: For The Next Generation (08/08/04)

UKELODEON

For The Next Generation

Plast youths beautify Cultural Garden in Cleveland

CLEVELAND - Recently a group of Plast yunatstvo (scounts age 11-18), along with a few parents and leaders volunteered to clean up and beautify the Ukrainian Cultural Garden at Rockefeller Park in Cleveland.

They planted yellow marigolds and blue ageratums by the statues of Lesia Ukrainka and Ivan Franko. The yellow and blue echoed the colors of the Ukrainian flag flying in front of the garden. They weeded the flower beds and swept the courtyards, preparing them for the International Children's Games that were hosted by Cleveland at the end of July. Children from around the world, including Ukraine, compete in these games and they will hopefully have a chance to view the gardens.

The children involved in the clean-up included Adrian Lebid, Sasha Grossman, Michael Fedynsky, Sophia Korovaichuk, Larysa Kopystynsky, Bohdana Komichak, Riley and Nora Kelleher, Olenka and Adia Bodnaruk.

The leaders and parents included Mitsia Zachary, Marta Mudri, Luda Grossman, Lucy Komichak, Andrew Fedynsky, Wasyl Kotelewec and Lucya Lebid, the Ukrainian Cultural Garden Federation representative.

The flowers and supplies were generously donated by the Kotelewec and Lebid families.

It was a very hot and muggy afternoon, but that did not dampen the enthusiasm the group had for helping a good cause.

Student's letter appears in newspaper

The letter below appeared in the "Student Forum" section of the January 25 edition of The Star-Ledger, New Jersey's largest newspaper. Its publication proves that kids, too, have an opportunity to be heard.

Ukraine genocide

All history should be taught, the good and the bad, whether about America or not. Many people don't know about the Famine and genocide in Ukraine in 1932 and 1933.

During these years, Ukrainians were forced to work in their fields and then were starved in their own homes. Seven million to 10 million men, women and children were killed by the wanton Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. Most non-Ukrainians do not know this happened, but there are people who lived through it. Some are still alive, but don't like to speak aloud of it. One survivor said, "You could hear the cries from the families' homes at night, the mourning of the dead family members."

This Famine was a result of communism. Another name for the genocide is "Holodomor," or holocaust. This is not taught in history class, and I think it should be, even if the American government was partly involved. It is history.

- Michael Naumenko
Seventh Grade
Herbert Hoover Middle School
Edison, N.J.

ODUM's youngest campers send greetings to The Weekly

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - It's that time of year. Most of our readers are off at camp, and very busy with their camp activities. Some of them, however, took the time to drop us a greeting from camp. Seen above and on the bottom left are the young campers, age 3-6, of "Tabir Malyat" run by the Ukrainian Democratic Youth Organization, known as ODUM (that's the group's Ukrainian acronym) at the Ukraina grounds in London, Ontario. On the left is their "pryvit" to The Weekly and its readers.

Plast camp in Ohio sends greetings

MIDDLEFIELD, Ohio - Youths at the Pysanyi Kamin campgrounds of Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization sent greetings from their camps to The Weekly. Five camps sent greetings signed by the campers and their counselors; two of them are seen above: "Mandrivka po Sviti," the preschoolers' camp (left) and "Pidpillia," the camp for novaky (right).

Mishanyna

To solve this month's Mishanyna, find the words capitalized in the text below in the Mishanyna grid.

This month we celebrate UKRAINIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY - Ukraine's 13th since 1991, when the country's leaders in the Verkhovna RADA (Parliament) proclaimed its independence.

It was on AUGUST 24, 1991, that the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic - then still part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or SOVIET UNION - adopted a resolution declaring "Ukraine as an INDEPENDENT, DEMOCRATIC STATE." That same resolution called for a nationwide REFERENDUM, or vote by the public, on DECEMBER 1, 1991, to affirm the declaration of independence.

The actual "ACT of the Declaration of the Independence of Ukraine" - which was passed by a VOTE of 321 to 2, with six abstentions - noted that "The territory of Ukraine is indivisible and inviolable" and that "from this day forward, on the TERRITORY of Ukraine, only the CONSTITUTION and laws of Ukraine are valid."

To the 52 million people of Ukraine, the declaration came as a welcome SURPRISE, following a heated debate in the Parliament after the failed COUP in Moscow on August 19-21. Ukraine was REBORN!

And so, Ukraine reappeared on the MAP of Europe and August 24 is now celebrated each year as Ukraine's Independence Day.

CHECK IT OUT: In the centerfold of this issue read about Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization's summertime camps in East Chatham, N.Y., at the campgrounds known as Vovcha Tropa (Wolf's Trek). Perhaps you'll even recognize some of your friends in the photos that illustrate the story.

For older readers, we suggest turning to page 11 for a review of two novels for young adults written from the perspective of teens growing up in Canada.

OUR NAME: UKELODEON: it rhymes with nickelodeon. Yes, that's a kids' network (spelled with a capital "N"), but the original word referred to an early movie theater that charged a nickel for admission. According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, the root of the word, "odeon," is from the Greek "oideion," a small building used for public performances of music and poetry. Our UKELODEON is envisioned as a public space where our youth, from kindergartners to teens, can come to learn, to share information, to relate their experiences, and to keep in touch with each other. Its contents will be shaped by the young readers of the next generation.

OUR NEXT ISSUE: UKELODEON is published on the second Sunday of every month. To make it into our next issue, dated September 12, please send in your materials by September 3.

We especially encourage kids and teens to submit articles and see their names in print. And don't forget to send a photo or two. Plus, photos of UKELODEON reporters - that means any of you young readers who submit a story - are welcome.

Please drop us a line:

UKELODEON,
The Ukrainian Weekly,
2200 Route 10, P.O. Box 280,
Parsippany, NJ 07054
fax, (973) 644-9510
phone, (973) 292-9800
e-mail, [email protected].

(We ask all contributors to please include a daytime phone number.)

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