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February 10, 2007 — From the Community section
1. CALIFORNIA: Dr. Arnold and Diane Gazarian invest $1.5 million in
Fresno State and the new California
2. WASHINGTON: Profiles: Armenians at DC-area universities intent on
global change
3. PENNSYLVANIA: Werfel’s FORTY DAYS featured in mini-exhibit at U-Penn library
4. CALIFORNIA: Motorcycle club launches annual toy drive: Hye Riders
set example of charity and outreach
5. CALIFORNIA: Program helps young people advance in education,
careers, and life
6. CALIFORNIA: NAASR and Ararat-Eskijian Museum host Ottoman
photography slide-lecture by Van Aroian
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1. CALIFORNIA: Dr. Arnold and Diane Gazarian invest $1.5 million in
Fresno State and the new California
* Central California couple will help create a real estate center
by Paul Chaderjian
Special to the ARMENIAN REPORTER
FRESNO, CA – Though Native Americans lived here as far back as 6,000
years before Christ, this story begins in the mid-1800s, when a
railroad baron established a depot here – setting modern day
development into motion.
Spanish explorers had deemed the empty, arid desert uninhabitable, and
passed through it, as did the Gold Rush-era ’49ers. But when a
labyrinth of irrigation canals was built on this mostly-flat terrain,
the region’s Mediterranean climate allowed waves of immigrants to turn
the southern San Joaquin Valley into the most agriculturally bountiful
area in the world.
Now this region, dubbed by the media as the "New California," is home
to a booming population of more than three million people. It is the
raisin capital of the world, produces more than 250 crops, and
provides a quarter of the food eaten in the U.S. The Southern San
Joaquin Valley’s agricultural business brings in more than $16 billion
in revenues every year.
In this booming region, once an empty desert, a retired dentist and
his wife, the children of hard-working immigrants, are helping the
local university to address regional challenges and to maintain its
role as the intellectual and educational center for the Central San
Joaquin Valley.
With a gift of one-and-a-half million dollars, Dr. Arnold and Diane
Gazarian are establishing a real estate center at California State
University, Fresno, and helping to launch the biggest fundraising
effort in the university’s 100-year history.
"We’ve been blessed," says Dr. Gazarian when we meet for coffee at his
daughter’s business, Uncle Harry’s New York Bagelry, in North Fresno.
"We’ve really been blessed, and we’re fortunate enough to be able to
do it. I think it’s going to be very good for the valley. I think it’s
going to help with the education of a lot of people who are interested
in this field."
"The Gazarian gift sets the stage for Fresno State and the Craig
School of Business to become the central player in real estate
research in the Central Valley," says Dr. Douglas Hensler, chair of
the Dean and Sid Craig School of Business at CSUF.
The Gazarians and university officials envision creating a think-tank
in the next three years that can execute fact-based planning for
growth, a place where academics can pursue specialized degrees,
conduct massive research projects, hold symposia, and come together
with community and business leaders and the public to jointly address
not just growth but also the economic, social, and environmental
concerns of the region.
"We talked about the donation with the Dean of the School of Business
for a number of months," says Dr. Gazarian, "and the decision was to
make the investment in the university. I think that’s what it is. It’s
an investment in the Valley’s future, the university’s future…and
hopefully an investment in humankind."
The Gazarians’ generosity and "investment in humankind" began several
decades ago. The couple has been behind some major education
initiatives, and has served on the Fresno State Foundation Board of
Governors for more than 10 years. Dianne Gazarian (nee Berberian)
directs the Berberian and Gazarian Family Foundation, and the couple
established the Haig and Isabel Berberian Endowed Chair in Armenian
Studies at Fresno State nearly two decades ago.
"Diane and Arnold have been the most impressive consistent supporters
of the Armenian Studies Program at Fresno State, since they enabled
the establishment of the first full-time and functioning endowed chair
in any discipline on our campus," says Dr. Dickran Kouymjian,
professor, director and coordinator of the Center for Armenian Studies
at CSUF.
Dr. Kouymjian, who holds the Haig and Isabel Berberian Endowed Chair,
says the Gazarians established the chair in honor of Diane’s mother
and father. "But their contribution only began with the donation,"
says Dr. Kouymjian. "For the past 20 years they have been unfailing in
their support."
Dr. Gazarian served as the president of the Armenian Studies Program
Advisory Board for many years, and Dr. Kouymjian says Arnold and Diane
have been generous with their advice and help on nearly every
important issue.
"They have also never refused to organized receptions and other events
in their gracious home," says Dr. Kouymjian. "They have asked for
nothing in return, and both of them and their children never seek
publicity or other distinctions. They are hard-working, elegant
people, with a permanent concern for the Armenian Studies Program,
Fresno State, and their city, Fresno."
* Unpaved streets and sidewalks
When 76-year-old Arnold Gazarian was a teenager, he walked a mile to
school and helped out his parents on the family’s raisin farm near
Fowler, CA. He says he remembers things very vividly, especially his
dream to grow up and become a dentist.
"An uncle in Fresno was a dentist," recalls Gazarian. "What I liked
about that is that the dental office was always clean. He was never
perspiring or dirty working under the vines. I thought, this is a
great life, and I want to be working with my hands, and this is what I
want to be."
Life on the farm was difficult, says Gazarian. "Mom and dad worked the
ranch, as raisin growers. There were no sidewalks out on the ranch, no
asphalt driveway. When it rained, it would be muddy. Hot water and
heat and cooking was done all on a wood stove, whether it was the
middle of summer or dead of winter."
Groceries were purchased on credit until the crop came in and his
parents were able to pay their bills. "I guess what we would do is
once a week, we would go to an Armenian store in Fresno to do our
shopping. After the crop would come in, mom and dad would go and pay
off the bill, or TRY to pay off the bill – almost all of it."
"After World War II was over," remembers Gazarian, "we got at that
time a butane stove and a butane heater at the house. And a butane
water heater. We’d made our weekly trip to Fresno, and we came home on
a cold winter afternoon and it had been installed. And all I did was
open the hot water tap – and voila, there was hot water!"
He laughs. "It was like downtown," he says. "I must have been about
13. It is something that I will never ever forget."
After high school, Gazarian attended Reedley Community College,
enrolled at the University of California at Berkeley for a year, then
transferred across the Bay to UC San Francisco’s School of Dentistry.
He began his dentistry practice in 1956 and retired after 33 years,
when the family’s farming, real estate, and development businesses
began demanding more of his attention.
"Since I was six or seven years old," he says, "that’s all I wanted to
be, a dentist. Little did I realize that the profession I was going in
wasn’t the cleanest in the world. The mouth has more bacteria than any
place else in the body."
But though it wasn’t exactly the clean job he had envisioned,
dentistry ended up being a very rewarding profession, says Gazarian.
"My patients were the light of my life," he says. "I’d wake up in the
morning, and I couldn’t wait to get to work, because I enjoyed it. It
was a great profession, in that I was usually done by five o’clock,
and Dianne could have dinner on the table at six o’clock to eat with
the kids, and we always did. Six, 6:15, every day, dinner was on the
table, and we sat around as a family and had dinner."
The Gazarians, whose parents came from Kars and Kharpert via
Massachusetts, raised four daughters, and now have five grandkids.
"This is my third daughter that owns this place," he says, referring
to the Bagelry. "She and her husband put together Uncle Harry’s and
now Betty’s Sandwiches, named after my mother-in-law. My father-in-law
was known as Harry back East, and my mother-in-law always used to call
him Harry. My mother-in-law’s name was Isabelle, but everybody called
her Betty."
When the Berberian and Gazarian family business began demanding more
of his attention, Dr. Gazarian had less and less time to practice
dentistry. "We farmed about a couple of thousand of acres between here
and Modesto," he says. "Our major crop was almonds. We also farmed
cling peaches, cherries, citrus, grapes and, table grapes."
When his father-in-law passed away, Gazarian found himself spending
more time in the property management and development businesses.
"Every time someone would call, I literally had my hands in someone’s
mouth. So, it got to the point that I had to move on. It was time to
close chapter in the book and open up another chapter."
* Community service
Dr. Gazarian emphasizes that he and his wife have been very fortunate,
and their latest gift to Fresno State is just another way of giving
back to the community. "The good Lord has been good to us," he says,
"and we are giving back to the community that has allowed us to do
what little we’ve been able to do."
For the past 50 years, Gazarian has been giving back as a member of
the Exchange Club community service organization. "I’ve been through
the chairs. Everything from president to secretary," he says, "and I’m
kind of now a knife-and-forker." Gazarian never missed a weekly
meeting during his career in dentistry. He says he had a lot of fun
doing good work for the community, like helping abused children.
"That’s our major project," he says.
Along with helping victims of abuse and trying to stop child abuse,
the Exchange Club reaches out to underprivileged children with help,
honors members of the law enforcement community, provides scholarships
and honors to high school students, and even has its members ring
bells for the Salvation Army every holiday season.
Gazarian says he and his wife owe their success in life to public
schools and colleges, and he attributes their education to the
education system funded by the public. "These institutions didn’t just
happen," he says. "And people don’t do things by just themselves."
The retired dentist says he could not turn down an invitation from
Fresno State President Dr. John D. Welty 10 years ago to serve on the
Fresno State Foundation Board. "Diane and I discussed it, and we said,
you know, it’s something we’re interested in – so why not? You cannot
help but get interested in what Fresno State is doing, and in
education."
With the Gazarians’ input, Fresno State strengthened its development
department and created development directors for each of the schools
at the university. "A few years ago," says Dr. Gazarian, "we decided
to move ahead with a comprehensive campaign for the university, and
the reason for that is the state of California today.
Dr. Gazarian says state funding of public universities covers only
about three-quarters of the costs, compared to a decade ago when
California covered about 95 percent of the budget. "State funding is
beginning to diminish," says Dr. Gazarian, "and without private
support, the university is not going to flourish."
* The new California
Fresno State’s largest fundraising effort touts the Central San
Joaquin Valley as the "New California," citing similar references to
the region by the SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, National Public Radio, and
the Public Policy Institute of California. TIME Magazine called the
region "the last Real California" and said that Fresno was "the last
Real California left."
The city and county of Fresno are named after the ash trees that are
said to have lined the nearby San Joaquin River, which flowed out of
the icy Sierras. That river, which at one time was so large that
steamboats ferried people up to Stockton and Sacramento, is now dammed
in a dozen places in the mountains and nearly dry on the valley floor.
But the farmland that the canals were built to water is now being
turned into miles and miles of new neighborhoods. Escalating real
estate prices in other parts of the state are driving more and more
people to Central California from the Bay Area and Southern
California. Volumes have been written about the loss of the family
farms, and how that loss is resulting in the loss of a distinctive
American culture and family values.
Challenging development and redevelopment concerns have been
sensational cases like "Operation Rezone." The FBI investigation,
broken in the media by L.A. TIMES journalist Mark Arax, resulted in
the conviction of more than a dozen, including Fresno and Clovis city
council members. They were accused and convicted of accepting bribes
from developers to rezone parcels of land.
Cheap housing and unchecked, sometimes illegal, development have
created a shift in population in California. NPR called this
agriculturally bountiful region the final destination for a "reverse
migration" from the coast into the Central Valley.
"In the next 40 years," NPR reported, "experts foresee a California
with 24 million more residents, populating cities where now they see
only farmland and foothills. California is not an idea moving west,
but an idea moving east."
"Driven by demographic, cultural and political shifts," wrote the
CHRONICLE, "a rift is growing between California’s coast and its
interior, replacing the north-south split that has defined state
politics for more than 150 years."
Fresno State says the Public Policy Institute of California see the
Central Valley’s population increasing at a rapid pace, surpassing
every other major region of the state. "Over the years, this trend
will dramatically alter the state’s social and political landscape,"
says the Institute. "For the first time since the Gold Rush, more than
half of Californians live outside the Bay Area and Los Angeles."
Fresno State fundraisers say that this "New California" covers an area
larger than 11 states, measures up to the geographic size of
Tennessee, has three million residents, and that "in the midst of
growth is the region’s intellectual, academic and sports entertainment
leader, the University of the New California, Fresno State.
"We are in a growing part of California," says Dr. Gazarian. "We are
probably the only growing part of California. The major growing force
within California is here in the Central Valley, so it is important
for the university to thrive."
Gazarian says the "New California" campaign at Fresno State is still
in its quiet stages. "As it began rolling along," he says, "Diane and
I decided, you know, we need to do something for the university."
Their interest in education, coupled with their growing involvement
with real estate professionals and bigger investments in real estate,
helped them formulate their interest in establishing an academic
environment for the study and application of real estate.
"In real estate, when someone makes an investment," says Gazarian,
"it’s generally the biggest investment they’ll make. And ethics are
very important, whether it’s in the lending business or the mortgage
business. It all falls under the umbrella of real estate."
Gazarian says all one has to do is look at the newspaper headlines to
see how people are being cheated out of their life savings. "I’m
talking about ethics in general. I just think ethics is really
important. I don’t care what the business is. I don’t care if it’s
law, medicine, digging ditches, dentistry, plumbing or carpeting;
ethics is real important."
Dr. Gazarian’s vision for the Real Estate Center is to address issues
like ethics as well as real estate planning, sales, housing and
financing. "I’m sure there is going to be research on how many homes
are being built, how many are being sold," says Gazarian. "And
developers can use this information to plan ahead. All of this is
going to be rolled, as I understand it, under the umbrella of the Real
Estate Center."
Dr. Gazarian says he and his wife have seen the sprawl in southern
California, and it has been difficult for them to understand the
reason: whether it was poor deliberate planning or the lack of smart
planning that created the sprawl.
"We felt like we didn’t want to see growth that wasn’t really smart in
the Central Valley," says Dr. Gazarian, citing the endless list of
problems facing the Central San Joaquin, including congested roadways
and highways and environmental and air quality issues.
"We thought about it; we thought that one thing that Fresno State
doesn’t have is a real estate department," says Dr. Gazarian. "A place
where people in the business can come together under one umbrella to
discuss their needs."
"Arnold and Dianne Gazarian share our cause of taking responsibility
for the well-being of our community, and training effective planning
leaders for the future," says School of Business Dean Doug Hensler.
"We are thrilled that they have chosen to name the ‘Arnold and Dianne
Gazarian Real Estate Center,’ and we look forward to a long-term,
productive partnership with the Gazarian family in the cause of real
estate and land-use planning,"
Dr. Gazarian says the School of Business at Fresno State will offer
its real estate courses under the umbrella of the Real Estate Center,
where symposiums can be held "so we can start growing the smart way in
the Valley."
"This gift," says Dr. Hensler, "will allow us to leverage the work in
the Real Estate and Land Use Institute by John Mahoney and Garo
Kalfayan, where data is compiled and disseminated. We will begin to
use that data in a way that allows for better planning in the region."
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2. WASHINGTON: Profiles: Armenians at DC-area universities intent on
global change
by Alexa Millinger
Special to the ARMENIAN REPORTER
WASHINGTON – Young Armenians are excelling in a variety of fields all
over the world; but perhaps nowhere more than in the U.S. capital,
where they are intent on creating "global change."
The universities around Washington, DC, attract young Armenians from
far and wide, who wish to learn about the world, and find a way to
play a role in shaping its future. The REPORTER spoke with four of
them.
TALAR KAZANJIAN arrived in Washington from Syria in August on a
Fulbright Scholarship; she’s studying in an international affairs
graduate program at Johns Hopkins University. Having lived in climes
from Lebanon to Canada, Talar decided to continue her studies in
Washington.
"This is a great place for anyone studying politics," she said. Talar
is going towards a degree concentrated in strategic studies and
conflict resolution. She hopes to relate these studies to Armenian
issues, and hopes others will do the same.
"As Armenians we need a lot more people to study political science and
international affairs in an Armenian context," said Talar. "We have to
prepare as many experts in the field as possible."
IRINA ALAVERDYAN, a graduate student at Georgetown University, shares
the motive of obtaining an education in the U.S. and bringing skills
back to create change in Armenia.
"The goal of studying here is to go back and make change," said Irina,
who arrived from Armenia in August. "We really need young
professionals in Armenia; young people should make this change."
Irina, who is studying culture, communication, and technology at
Georgetown, hopes to return to Armenia and start her own political
public relations company. She accumulated valuable experience working
in the public affairs section of the U.S. Embassy in Armenia, where
she had the honor of working with U.S. Ambassador John Evans.
After living in the U.S. for several months, she finds it "very
organized, compared to Armenia." However, she finds the church-related
division of the Armenian diaspora community in the U.S. to be
detrimental to Armenia.
"I realize that the church plays a very political role here," she said
– which is different from what she saw in Armenia.
ARAM AVETISYAN, a graduate student at George Mason University,
believes that Armenia’s relations with the diaspora, particularly in
the U.S., is integral to Armenia’s prosperity. He believes the
community should be more active with more "business, economic, and
cultural contact."
Aram also hopes to use his American education to return to Armenia and
mitigate some of the nation’s problems. In addition to working towards
a degree in Public Policy at GMU, Aram is simultaneously working at
the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s office in Washington.
Aram and his wife came to the U.S. in 2003, drawn by the promise of a
"better opportunity," yet he shares the objective of ultimately
returning to his homeland.
"I hope to use all my knowledge and skills in Armenia," he said. He
sees corruption worldwide as one of the primary problems facing
nations and believes that abating corruption in a country like Armenia
would "improve the social situation."
NAIRI SIMONIAN, a UCLA graduate from California, graduated from
American University Law School in 2005 and now works for the AU Law
School on a grant project from the Department of Justice, focusing on
prisoners’ rights.
Coming from Los Angeles, Nairi observes DC’s young Armenian community
as having a higher level of international awareness, and a greater
understanding of the government than the more "cultural" Armenian
community of southern California.
Nairi describes DC Armenians as having a considerable sense of
"responsibility" – which may explain the idealism, dedication, and
conviction of the Armenian students and young professionals in the
area.
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3. PENNSYLVANIA: Werfel’s FORTY DAYS featured in mini-exhibit at U-Penn library
by Andrew Kevorkian
Special to the ARMENIAN REPORTER
PHILADELPHIA — A small and fascinating, but inclusive, exhibition on
the life of Franz Werfel – including the story of THE FORTY DAYS OF
MUSA DAGH – is currently on display at the University of Pennsylvania.
The Musa Dagh story is told in one of the eight cabinet displays, and
includes the hand-written, two-volume manuscript of the book that
became a bestseller in every country into which it was translated from
the original German. The book was published in November 1933, and was
banned in Germany by Adolph Hitler in February 1934 as "undesirable."
Also shown is a copy of the original Viking Press edition of the book,
published in America in 1934.
Included in the display are the title page and six photos – from a
collection of 30 photos – presented to Werfel by his "admirer and
friend," the Rev. A.A. Bedikian, long-time pastor of the Armenian
Evangelical Church in New York. Rev. Bedikian had taken the photos in
1936, and they show what life was like post-FORTY DAYS. They would
give any film producer ideas for his choice of locale.
Werfel first learned of the events that he later novelized when he was
traveling in the Middle East and met survivors. In his follow-up
research, Werfel was given the eye-witness accounts of Rev. Dikran
Andreassian, a native of Yoghonoluk, from which many of those who took
refuge on Musa Dagh came. Because the historic accounts of the
duration of the resistance vary, Werfel selected "40" for its
symbolic, Biblical connotations.
The next cabinet contains details and reports of the circuitous and
tortuous fight from Europe of the Werfels (his wife was the famous
Alma Mahler) and a dozen other Jewish writers and scholars fleeing
Nazi Europe. In a NEW YORK TIMES cutting of October 14, 1940, in which
their arrival is reported, the first interviewee is Werfel, and THE
FORTY DAYS is describe as "an epic novel."
Indeed, the entire gem of an exhibition is about Werfel’s travel and
exile, from his Prague birth, where he started his literary career as
a poet and playwright, to his days in Vienna and France and America,
where he was to die, in 1945, in an artists’ colony in California.
In an interesting sidelight, one learns that whereas the egotistical
Gustav Mahler made the very talented Alma Schindler give up her music
and "make her music his music," Werfel was to make her a soul-mate.
The exhibition is in the Rosenwald Gallery of Penn’s Van Pelt-Dietrich
Library. Though the Library is located at 3420 Walnut Street, with its
entrance is via Locust Walk. The free exhibition is open Monday
through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and on Saturday from noon to 4
p.m., by prior arrangement. It runs through April 13, and is well
worth the two-hour-or-so visit. A photo ID is required.
The exhibition is mounted by Dr. Violet Lutz.
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4. CALIFORNIA: Motorcycle club launches annual toy drive: Hye Riders
set example of charity and outreach
by Paul Chaderjian
Special to the ARMENIAN REPORTER
PASADENA, Calif. – The appetizing aroma from skewered kebobs barbequed
over an open flame, a giant and inviting bounce-house for kids, loud
Armenian music and nearly two dozen powerful and picture-perfect
Harley-Davidson motorcycles greeted supporters of the annual Hye
Riders motorcycle club toy drive.
"We heard about what they’re doing," says Sam Kartounian, " and we
figured it would be a great way for us to support this small niche in
the Armenian community. I think it’s really commendable what they’re
actually doing, being that the whole image of bikers is kind of
stepping out of the whole realm of what Armenian society dictates."
Throughout the sunny Sunday afternoon, Armenians from all over
Southern California, Armenian, Hispanic and African-American bikers
and their families — as well as those simply wanting to enjoy a good
Armenian picnic — stopped by the Pasadena Armenian Community Center
to donate toys.
"We brought a football, some sports equipment, coloring book, some
educational toys and board games," says Hagop Jerejian. "I didn’t know
about it last year, but a friend of mine told me about it. They do a
lot of good work for the Armenian community here and abroad, so I came
by, just a way to help them out."
After spending a number of years as a member of motorcycle clubs, Hye
Riders founder Berj Kasparian decided to create the club in 1998. His
goal was to bring young Armenians bikers together, organize monthly
rides, give young Armenian bikers an alternative to joining other
"hog" clubs and create a brotherhood based on community service and
charity… like the toy drive.
"I know it’s after Christmas," says Kasparian, "but during the
Holidays, we are all so busy. All these clubs you see here, we visit
local orphanages and retirement homes during the Holidays. So, we
decided to hold off on our toy drive for kids in Armenia until after
the Holidays."
Since its inception, Hye Riders has admitted more than 150 members
into its ranks. There are 42 members in Armenia, and members in
Southern California have set an exemplary standard for charity work to
other bike clubs. In addition to raising funds for the Hayastan
All-Armenian Fund, visiting local orphans and the elderly, Hye Riders
touch the lives of young people all over Armenia through their annual
toy drive.
"Every time I go to Armenia, I take different guys from our crew,"
says Kasparian, "and we meet up with guys from our crew over there.
The most amazing thing is that these kids, the people, they are so
surprised at what we do and how we do it. We go there, winter, summer,
it doesn’t matter, and the kids at the orphanages and in the villages
wait for us with open arms. When we leave, the kids are always crying,
asking when are we coming back. It gets extremely touching, very
touching. It’s not just a matter of taking the toys. It’s going over
there and seeing what we are able to do."
Clad in the requisite leather jacket and proudly wearing the Hye Rider
tricolor emblem on his back, biker Drtad Bedjakian say this year’s toy
drive means a lot more to him after he visited the homeland last year
and handed out the toys in person. There are two trips to Armenia
planned in 2007 — the first in May and a second one in September.
"Just seeing the happiness and the expressions on their faces, how
happy they were to see us and have us over there, the way they treated
us," says Bedjakian, "it makes you feel like you’re doing something
good for your people. Seeing that happiness on the kids’ faces is
something you very rarely see. You feel joyous when they grab a
99-cent car and treat it like it was a ten thousand dollar toy."
Kasparian says members of Hye Riders come from all walks of life.
Among the leather-clad rough and tough bikers are students,
businessmen, doctors, lawyers, but no women. The club is for men only,
but women are welcomed club activities, charity events and
get-togethers. The club has meetings, elects officers and requires
that members pass drug screen tests to ensure that they are clean. Hye
Riders has even won endorsements by legendary hog clubs that have been
around since the 60s.
"This year," says Kasparian, "these toys are going not just to an
orphanage, but to children in villages, where the kids don’t have
anything but rocks and sticks. If you’ve been there, you know what I’m
talking about. This drive helps them out tremendously, because we have
a lot of toys, clothing, blankets and everything that can be used out
there."
"Bikers always seem to get a bad reputation," says Stepan Mekhitarian,
who teaches math in Venice. "I feel like they always get labeled as
rebels, especially with Harleys going around and making a lot of
noise. I think for the most part, the public has a fairly negative
image of what they do. But I think the Hye Riders are the exception
here. They do a lot of good work. I think if they continue doing what
they’re doing, people are going to see that not every biker is
necessarily a rebel."
Kasparian says members of the club are basically sharing their
blessings and good fortune. They love their bikes and love to ride
them. He thinks they are lucky to be able to afford motorcycles that
cost anywhere between 30 to 50 thousand dollars on up. "We are
blessed, and we are spoiled," says Kasparian. "For example, you go to
Armenia, and those guys are piecing their bikes together. They take
parts from old bikes, Russian bikes, and as long as it’s rolling, and
it looks like a bike, they ride."
The Hye Riders say they share their blessings by reaching out to those
in need at home and overseas. The club often rides out to Southern
California neighborhoods where the homeless congregate . These
Armenian bikers take the homeless food and clothing, and not just
during the holidays but throughout the year.
The bike club also takes regularly scheduled rides to Armenian
retirement homes, taking food to the seniors, sitting down and
spending time with the elders. They also visit Armenian schools and
participate in April 24 memorials. Their annual genocide commemoration
ride is mandatory for each member to attend. Other rides and meetings
may be skipped by members if they have family or work related
responsibilities.
"We’re all family members, and we have businesses," says Kasparian.
"To us, number one is your family and your business. If you cannot
attend, the reason is going to be that you have a function with your
family or business." After they meet their personal responsibilities,
the Hye Riders pour their energy and resources into their bikes.
"Riding a Harley or a motorcycle is a whole different life," says
Kasparian. "You get on a bike, and you change. Your attitude changes.
You’re a happier person. It’s really enjoyable. But most of all, what
turns us on, especially in the Armenian community are the tricolor we
wear on our back. We are representing Armenians, and we have to show
the good sides of Armenians."
(Editor’s note: For more information about joining HyeRiders or to
support the club’s annual toy drive, visit the web site
)
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5. CALIFORNIA: Program helps young people advance in education,
careers, and life
* AGBU’s Generation Next mentorship program matches teens with role models
by Jenny Kiljian
Special to the ARMENIAN REPORTER
PASADENA, Calif. — On Sunday, February 4, millions of people waited
anxiously to see who would win the Super Bowl. That bout would find
only one champion. But, the games that took place at a park in
Pasadena that same morning would ensure that everyone emerged
victorious.
Every few months, the AGBU Generation Next Mentorship Program holds a
"pairing day" to match young people between the ages of 12 and 18 with
suitable mentors. During the event, participants play games designed
to foster teamwork and build self-confidence, after which they share a
casual lunch where they can learn more about one another’s interests
and hobbies.
At the end of the day, each mentor and young person fills out a form
listing his or her top three choices for a potential pairing. Using
those lists, along with relevant biographical information, AGBU
Generation Next Director Ara Arzumanian has the enviable task of
playing matchmaker for these couplings. He said it is "an organic and
effective way to make these pairings," which often last officially for
three to five years, and develop into lifelong friendships thereafter.
Young people generally find their way into the program, now in its
10th year, through references from school counselors, friends and
family. "We look for kids with the potential to grow," said
Arzumanian, noting that the program isn’t necessarily for troubled
youth or wayward teens. Mentors guide their mentees through any number
of problems-difficulty at school, issues at home, low self-esteem, as
well as acculturating to a new environment in the case of recent
immigrants. Arzumanian explained that kids grapple with issues such as
gangs, drugs, drinking, smoking, bullying and truancy as early as
junior high. "The purpose of Generation Next is prevention, not
intervention. With the help of a good mentor, the young people able to
identify these negative situations and avoid them ahead of time."
Arzumanian said the goals of the program are to build "The Three
C’s"-self-confidence, career and culture-in each young person. By
building a foundation of strong self-confidence, he noted, the mentees
would be empowered to take the necessary steps to further their
careers, as well as to "live the Armenian culture." "Oftentimes,
people say that we should ‘preserve’ our culture," said Arzumanian.
"You preserve something with formaldehyde because it’s dead. I want
them to live our culture every day. For a youngster, having a mentor
who is a friend and good example is a huge boost in these areas."
Christine Saakyan is a "veteran mentee" who joined the program five
years ago as a seventh grader. Now a senior at Glendale High School,
Saakyan reflects positively on her experience. "Having a mentor taught
me how to communicate with people, to be open-minded, to make friends,
and it helped me do better in school," said the 18-year-old. "As
girls, we think about boys all the time. I used to be envious of other
girls, I wanted to ditch school. But my mentor taught me to do the
right thing."
She and her mentor spent time together by going to the movies, having
coffee dates, and sharing dinner with Saakyan’s home-which helped
build bridges for the family. "I have two older sisters, but they were
busy with their lives. My mentor was a friend of theirs, and she
helped us bond more. If not for the program, we might not be so
close." Others also noticed the change. "People see a difference in
me. I’m more active, friendly towards people," said Saakyan.
Saakyan, who wants to be a pastry chef, said she would continue to
support the program and become a mentor when the time was right.
For 20-year-old Lena Manoukian, that time was last year when she was
enlisted as a mentor by Arzumanian. She mentors a 12-year-old girl,
who she described as "very bright, smart and funny, with a good
heart." The girl’s parents sought a mentor for her because they wanted
her to socialize more and to be less shy. To that end, Manoukian takes
her mentee to the movies, talks to her on the phone, and participates
in AGBU-sponsored group activities with her. Manoukian explained the
difficulties that young girls face in junior high-struggling to make
friends, wear the right clothes, and have the right hair style.
Recently, her mentee asked her to fulfill a simple wish: to have
straight hair. Manoukian said that the young girl was exuberant and
felt good about herself afterward. "She’s a girl, and she needs an
older role model in her life. She just needs some attention from
someone who is like a big sister and an authority figure," said
Manoukian, who said she would be happy to stay with her mentee for
more than the one-year commitment required of each pairing.
Armen Yeghiazarians has been mentoring the same young boy for nearly
two years. "My mentee is great," said Yeghiazarians. The Clark Magnet
High School student is "very smart, and a good kid" who recently came
to the United States and "has adjusted well" to his new environs.
Their activities range from going to lunch, getting coffee and seeing
movies to playing video games at Dave and Buster’s, a popular arcade.
"He was kind of shy, and I’ve helped him to be more outgoing," said
Yeghiazarians, who noted the dearth of male mentors for what is an
increasing number of young boys seeking to join the program. "We need
mentors-young men especially to give their time to help the youth of
the community. We need positive role models for kids. For ten to
twelve hours each month, you can make a difference in a kid’s life."
Arzumanian pointed out that the program has strived to meet the same
professional criteria as mainstream mentorship programs such as Big
Brothers and Big Sisters of America. They maintain a three-fold mentor
support structure that includes ongoing training, three mentor
development days each year, as well as keen interaction with the
Generation Next Task Force. The ten-member committee comprises veteran
mentors Vrejh Aghajanian, Narine Galstian, and Yeghiazarians, along
with Arzumanian and program coordinator Nora Ayvazian. In addition to
the Task Force, the program has volunteer case managers-many of whom
are mentors themselves-who keep track of progress, assess mentors, and
address concerns from mentors, mentees or their families as they
arise.
"Too often, we see kids what they think are adult behaviors and trying
to grow up too soon. They want to drink, smoke, do drugs, have sex and
get into fights," said Arzumanian. Even if a young person demonstrates
high-risk behavior and doesn’t mesh well with the group, eventually he
or she will soften up through group activity, according to Arzumanian.
"By being with other kids, we give them an environment that allows
them to act like a kid again."
Arzumanian also emphasized that the mentor and mentee relationship is
strictly confidential, and that mentors do not serve as "spies" for
parents. Only in cases where a mentor finds out someone, whether it is
the mentee or another person, could be in harm would that
confidentiality be broken. "We are all mandated reporters," explained
Arzumanian. "But this strengthens the relationship-it shows that they
trust you, and they are seeking help in resolving a problem they can’t
handle as kids."
It’s a well-known fact that young people need boundaries, structure,
role models and guidance, particularly in junior high and high school
when much of their identity is based on comparisons and competition
with peers. Narine Galstian, who has been part of the program for five
years, said that while young people certainly appreciate their mentor
in the immediacy of their relationship, they would see the lasting
benefits into adulthood. "We build their trust and their confidence.
We make sure they understand they’re not being judged or disciplined.
We’re not a friend who will hurt them. And, they’ll see the value of
our relationship later on in life," said Galstian.
Even mentors will learn something from this relationship. "It taught
me patience," said Yeghiazarians. "I work in corporate America, and I
have to meet deadlines. But dealing with a kid is not on a deadline.
It taught me that I won’t get a result in three months or even six
months-that a relationship needs to be fostered. It made me a better
manager, and I feel good because I made a difference in a kid’s life."
Lena Manoukian saw the power of sacrifice in her mentee. "She’s not
selfish. She saves money to spend on her parents for their birthdays
because she sees how much they do to take care of her and her two
brothers."
It’s a lesson that Galstian hopes the rest of the community can learn.
"The most important message to the community is that we’re an
organization that helps build the future for our community as a whole.
These kids are the next generation. If we don’t put them on the right
track now, they’re never going to turn around to help us later," she
said. "We want them to grow up not feeling alienated, to be proud of
our history, and to give back to the community."
* * *
(Editor’s Note: AGBU Generation Next serves Armenian communities in
Greater Los Angeles with the hope of expanding its programs throughout
California and in other parts of the country served by the AGBU. For
more information on the AGBU Generation Next Mentorship Program, visit
or call 626-794-7942.)
Jenny Kiljian is a former editor of the ARMENIAN WEEKLY.
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6. CALIFORNIA: NAASR and Ararat-Eskijian Museum host Ottoman
photography slide-lecture by Van Aroian
by Janet Samuelian
Special to the ARMENIAN REPORTER
MISSION HILLS, Calif. — The Ararat-Eskijian Museum offered more than
they advertised in "World in Transition: Armenians in the Ottoman
Photographs Collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum" on December 3,
2006. Early arrivals were treated to a sampling of a CD-Rom brought
from Armenia by art historian Levon Chookaszian – the UNESCO chair of
Armenian Art History at Yerevan State University, and current Kazan
Chair Visiting Professor at Cal State Fresno.
"At the recent world technology summit in Tunisia, this was voted one
of the ten best CDs in electronic education," Chookaszian said. He
held up the CD-Rom and added, "It took first prize especially for its
cultural content, such as the segment about the 100th anniversary of
Aram Khachaturian."
The huge electronic archive, which takes one month to see, was
researched by Garik Chookaszian, funded by the Armenian Prime
Minister, and costs $40 per copy. It was phenomenal to see such clear
images of Siamanto, Varoujan, Yessayan, Komitas, Zohrab, various
political leaders, even Khrimian Hayrig at the Berlin Congress. One
hopes that a diaspora organization will help market it.
Museum administrator Maggie Mangassarian-Goshen stood to welcome
museum founders Luther and Ann Eskijian as 65 visitors rapidly filled
the hall. She introduced guest speaker Van Aroian of Massachusetts.
The NAASR Boardmember spent two years at the Getty Research Library,
from 1999 to 2001, searching through 6,000 photos collected by Pierre
De Gigord to find Armenian themes and contributions to Ottoman
society.
"I realized people like to solve problems, such as Levon’s brother
whose CD-Rom is a fabulous development. Every problem is an
opportunity," declared Aroian. He gave an overview of the history of
photography, starting with a Chinese precursor to the CAMERA OBSCURA
from 500 BC. He credited Daguerre with the full development of the
camera in 1839.
Aroian explained that photograph collector Pierre De Gigord’s uncle
was president of the Banque Ottoman, so he had access to court
photographers such as Abdullah Freres. That is how the archive held by
the Getty came to be.
"So rather than see ourselves as victims, we were innovators,
producers, and contributors. Armenian photographers were part of the
development and expansion of that technology after 1839; we had been
expert in physics, chemistry and metallurgy – in fact, we had a
monopoly, with 25 photo studios in Bolis."
Aroian noted that Sultan Abdul Hamid was also a photographer, whose
photos were donated to Harvard University and Library of Congress, as
well as to the British Museum and Istanbul University Library.
Slide after slide showed people at varying levels of society, rich to
destitute. There were photos of Balian-designed buildings: "There is
at the Getty an inscribed red leather album of 40 photos presented by
Sarkis Balian to the King of Spain – their footprints are all over
Bolis today" Aroian revealed.
The enthusiastic speaker warned listeners to not take old photographs
for granted. "They have historic value and give an important visual
dimension; save them from the dumpster and send them to Ruth Thomasian
at Project Save. The Getty will help subsidize your publication of
their photos. They want to develop the area around the Mediterranean
world and are building a Middle Eastern program."
Aroian urged guests to join NAASR (the National Association for
Armenian Studies and Research), and during the reception that followed
the very engaging speaker responded graciously to questions from local
photographers like Levon Parian. Van Aroian’s website is
[email protected].
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