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PRESS RELEASE
Friday, May 2, 2008
AGBU Lebanon Marks Twin Anniversaries with Special Student Events
AGBU Lebanon District marked two significant anniversaries in April: the
93rd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and the 102nd anniversary of
the founding of AGBU. The occasions were commemorated by two large
interscholastic events that brought together hundreds of Lebanese
students of Armenian descent.
To mark the 102nd anniversary of the founding of AGBU, a festival took
place on April 15, 2008 on the "Antranig" athletic field of Demirjian
Center in Lebanon under the patronage of the AGBU Lebanon District
Committee and the Education Committee, and with the participation of 500
pupils from three local AGBU schools: Tarouhy-Hovaguimian, Levon G.
Nazarian and Boghos K. Garmirian.
In his opening remarks, Hampig Mardirosssian, Secretary of the AGBU
Lebanon District office, greeted those assembled and wished the
organization continued success for its work. He invited Hratch
Karamanoogian, Chairman of the AGBU Education Committee, to convey his
educational message to the attendees.
Participating pupils sang patriotic songs, gave recitations and
performed dances on the occasion. Speaking on behalf of the principals
was Rosette Alemian-Mahseredjian, principal of the Boghos K. Garmirian
School, who mentioned how Boghos Nubar founded AGBU in Cairo in 1906,
and how it quickly became, and continues to be, a positive presence in
the life of Armenians everywhere.
On April 18, a drawing and recitation contest among seven Beirut-area
Armenian schools took place at the Boghos K. Garmirian School on the
occasion of the 93rd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and the 102nd
anniversary of the founding of AGBU. The event enjoyed the participation
of Yeghishe Manoukian, Rupinian, Vahan Tekeyan, Levon G. Nazarian,
Boghos K. Garmirian and Armenian Catholic Kevork Harboyian schools, as
well as the Armenian Evangelical College.
Opening remarks were delivered by Hampig Mardirossian, who pointed out
that the greatest challenge and triumph is to keep the Armenian language
and culture alive in the younger generation. He spoke about how the
architects of the Armenian Genocide wished to annihilate the Armenian
people 93 years ago but "today we still exist. The month of April has
ceased to be a month of mourning and has become a month of victory," he
said.
Thereafter, each school participated in the recitation contest with two
pupils (from the fifth and sixth grades). Each pupil was asked to recite
a compulsory poem, followed by one of their own choosing. The compulsory
poem for the fifth grade was Vahan Tekeyan’s "Hayoo Hokin" (The Armenian
Soul), while for the sixth grade it was Tekeyan’s "Ahavor Pan Muh
Ayndegh" (Something Terrible There). The jury was composed of Hampig
Mardirossian, Aida Markarian and Toukhig Avedisian.
Fifth-grade winners were: first place – Yeghig Avedikian (Garmirian),
second place – Houri Jamgotchian (Nazarian) and Arina Tepirdjian (Kevork
Harboyian), and third – Shushan Keshishian (Arm. Evang. Coll.).
Sixth-grade winners were: first place – Maral Torosian (Tekeyan) and
Norair Arpadjian (Garmirian), second place – Lori Mesrobian (Rupinian),
third place – Hovig Atamian (Yeghishe Manoukian) and Lara Kalenderian
(Kevork Harboyian).
The results of the drawing competition were also announced on the same
day. The theme for the fifth-grade drawing contest was spring and
motherhood, while sixth graders were asked to translate the theme of
April 24 as rebirth. The members of the jury were Maral Panossian and
Lena Tchaghlassian. The contest took place at the same time as the
poetry contest.
Fifth-grade winners were: first place – Vera Bozoyian (Kevork
Harboyian), second place – Nayiri Darakdjian (Yeghishe Manoukian), third
place – Sergio Adjemian (Tekeyan). Sixth-grade winners were: first place
– Manoug Djenanian (Kevork Harboyian), second place – Sevag Hadjekian
(Nazarian), third place – Khajag Barsoumian (Yeghishe Manoukian), and
honorable mention – Avedis Melkonian (Garmirian) and Natalie Margossian
(Yeghishe Manoukian).
Approximately 300 pupils participated in the drawing and recitation
contests, and all pupils received small gifts as a token of appreciation
for their work.
The gathering of the pupils ended with words of thanks from Hampig
Mardirossian for the principals, staffs and pupils of the participating
schools.
Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City with an
annual budget of $34 million, AGBU preserves and promotes the Armenian
identity and heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian
programs, annually serving some 400,000 Armenians on six continents.