V Karpaty! To the Carpathian Mountains!
Activities
By Jared Stewart, Iowa State University

   While standing at the bus stop at 7 o’clock Sunday morning, I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly we had gotten ourselves into.  We were going to the Carpathian Mountains, the largest mountain range in western Ukraine for a sledding and ski trip with 40 Ukrainian students.  It would be a six hour round trip, but our driver, the always-entertaining Petro, assured us that it would be a great experience.

    The morning started quickly as we began to meet the Ukrainian students on the bus.  Not more than 15 miles out of town, we were sharing our food and drinks with each other and mingling like good friends.  Many of the students could speak at least a little bit of English, and we practiced our Ukrainian as well. 

   Even a quick restroom and reload stop in the city of Stryi proved to be eventful.  I learned not to go looking for bathrooms in unknown places, as I was chased down a hallway by the biggest Rottweiler I had ever seen.  Several bathroom breaks and one stuck bus later, we had finally reached the snowcaps of the Carpathian Mountains. 

   First on our agenda was sort of an Arctic Picnic.  We were treated to a delicious meal of fish, sandwiches, and hot spirits before taking to the slopes.  After our lunch, we set out to work off all those calories.

   Our first stop was the small hills near the bottom of the mountain.  However, as Randy found out first-hand, there are a lot more trees near the bottom to run into.  I also learned another valuable lesson; the sleds we rented were not for the larger riders.  Of course, I didn’t know this until after the runner sled I was riding collapsed and I ate half of a snow bank.  After warming up on the bunny hills, we attempted to conquer the larger slopes. 

   We made human blooper reels every time we trekked up the mountain.  No longer was the challenge staying on the sled or not crashing into a tree, but standing upright took serious concentration and skills; skills I lacked.  Our homemade video footage revealed how funny we looked trying to walk and even stand.  It was not uncommon for me to be standing one minute and be flat on my back, arms and legs flailing about the next.

   We were also introduced to homemade Ukrainian toboggans.  We found that at least six people could interlock and slide down the mountain on industrial-sized sheets of plastic.  After several trial runs down the hill backwards, we realized that the larger riders needed to be in the front or else it would be a disaster.  More often than not, our group ended up in heap at the bottom of the hill: legs and arms sticking out everywhere, hooting, hollering and laughing.  Then we would untangle, stumble back up the mountain and lock in for another run.

Hanging out at the mountains.
GROUP HUG!

   The weather in Ukraine and specifically at Lviv State Agrarian University campus has been anything but predictable. We expected cold weather coming into Ukraine. In fact, along with our family and friends back home in the US, we thought it would be colder here than at home. We were pleasantly surprised when we walked out of our dorms and felt the warmth of the sun on our smiling faces.

   It is amazing how quick the snow and ice melted. In our first two weeks in Ukraine, there had not been a day without snow and ice on the ground.  Knowing it was short lived, we enjoyed every warm minute of it.  For those of us interested, the track revealed itself. We were able to run a few laps while we had the chance.

   There were things we missed about the snow and ice, however in that one week of warm weather.  We missed seeing the local Ukrainian kids sliding down the hill on our way to class. They could tell we were Americans so they practiced their “hellos” and “good mornings” in English on us. We missed the easy ride down the hill on our way back from class. A quick and fun way not to walk home after class is to practice our snow boarding techniques on the ice.

   It was not long before the snow was back on the ground. It has been snowing now almost everyday for the last week so we’re back to square one and still very much enjoying our stay in Dubliany. We’re back to our old habits of sliding on ice and having our Ukrainian moms bundle us up before we walk out into the cold.  

It's going to get worse than this!

   Wednesday we got a tour of part of the Economics Faculty at LSAU.  Economics is the largest faculty here.  Our tour guide was the Vice-Dean of the Economics Faculty, Franko Mikolyash.  Although an imposing figure, (built like Dick Butkus) he was very personable and eager to show us everything. 

   We first toured the Department of Accounting.  We saw several typical classrooms and met a class of fourth-year accounting students.  With class sizes in the twenties, anyone who has been in a large lecture at Iowa State, Minnesota, and Penn State (300+ students per lecture) can appreciate the lower student to teacher ratio. 

   We also saw a couple classrooms in the Agricultural Business and Management.  Although no students were in class while we toured it, the Ag Business program here is growing.

   The last department we visited was Finance.  Again, there were no students in class, but we saw the facilities and the presentation technology that the teachers had access to.  In one of the classrooms, we got a brief historical lesson on Ukrainian currency.  There were displays of money from the 1920s to the present. 

   Our history lesson continued as we were given a special tour of a small university museum.  It was a museum in the honor of Yevhen Khraplyvyy, a former professor at LSAU and a Ukrainian agriculture icon. 

   Although there was quite a language barrier, with the help of Olga, our Ukrainian instructor, and a fellow Ukrainian classmate, we engaged in a conversation about the future of Ukrainian agriculture.  To finish the afternoon, we discussed what changes needed to take place to improve the struggling agricultural economy here.  Of course, this was done over coffee and cookies.

Discussing agricultural issues over coffee and cookies

Pervocvit
Culture
By Lynn Weikert, Penn State University

   Pervocvit is the name of the Ukrainian dance group at Lviv State Agrarian University. It was formed here at LSAU one year ago and the group has already performed in just about all regions of Ukraine. They perform many traditional Ukrainian dances. The most popular among the students is a dance called “Hopak”.  The group consists of fifteen to twenty students from Dubliany and Lviv. These students meet with their instructor from Monday through Friday. Tuesday and Thursday practices are held here on campus in Dubliany. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday practices are in Lviv with another group of students. Their instructor, Pobeda Harisov, is a professional dancer. They dance to the rhythm of the accordion that musician Yuriy Mayka plays.           

One night we were invited to watch the groups’ practice. One of our very own, Kirk DiFrancesco tried his luck at dancing. It was a wonderful show! He did his best, however, (no offense Kirk) could use some practice. There are an equal number of girls and guys in the group as they frequently dance as partners. Many of the dances require heavy footwork and man can their feet move. Step by step they learn the moves and eventually move across the dance floor like professionals. During one of the dances we heard very high pitched screams coming from some of the girls. In response to the girls’ screams, the guys frequently whistled.

One of the students in Pervocvit, Oksana Boyarchyk, is a second year student at LSAU and is studying accounting and auditing. She has been accompanying our semester classes. She, like other students in the group, dance for one simple reason, because they like to dance. Oksana added that it is a way to save Ukrainian traditions, represent Lviv State Agrarian University, and to show their skills in other countries. They are soon traveling to Malta.

There's our girl Oksana! (in the Blue)

It will be great to see the group in costume and in a real performance. Although we have not seen them in their traditional costumes, we can imagine they look great.

By Randy Koontz, Penn State University

   We are here! Oh, that’s right we are in Ukraine! At my first glance towards where we are staying for four months it was so different for me. The dormitory was greatly furnished by LSAU and we thank them for that. Our concrete dormitory opened our eyes that it is quite different here. Around our dormitory there are many others in which the Ukrainian students live. The steps to the dormitory are made of concrete and on the end of the steps lay railings for our safety due to the icy conditions of winter here. Our very protective Ukrainian mothers make sure the steps are clear of snow so we do not fall.

   Before entering the dormitory we have to ring the doorbell and yes it is very loud. Before going any farther past the doorway it is customary to remove your shoes just like in America. The flooring in the dormitory is made of wood, although the kitchen and bathrooms are furnished with tile. The windows are very large and on the outside of them are steel bars for added security. LSAU has taken great measures to ensure that we have a safe and well furnished home during our stay here. The kitchen is quite nice we have a sink, washing machine, dryer, and two stoves and refrigerators. Installed above the counter tops are two cupboards where we keep our dishes and food.

   Leaving the kitchen and making a left turn there is a hallway with three rooms on the left and three on the right. As we enter the rooms the first thing one sees is a mirror on the wall and next to it a coat rack. The bathroom is located to the left inside it there is a mirror, toilet, sink, and shower. The bedrooms are located near the bathrooms and let me say we are happy with them. There are two beds, one wardrobe, one desk, and a nightstand. In each of our rooms there is carpet, which adds some brightness to the rooms. The rooms are painted in different colors, and it seems to me that Jared and Brad enjoy their pink colored walls very much.

   We are also blessed with a lounge, which is greatly enjoyed by all of our visitors. We have a desk, television, round table and chairs. It is a great place to socialize which we all like to do. As this has been the first year for the program at LSAU the dorm life has exceeded our expectations. Although some of us have lived in the dorms before and others have not, it is great to realize how much the Ukrainians take care of us.

Happy Oksana's Day!

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