Lowell Sun (Massachusetts)
April 19, 2009 Sunday
Wilmington High students learn about Armenian Genocide
WILMINGTON — Efforts to introduce an Armenian Genocide curriculum
throughout high schools north of Boston are gaining impetus.
The latest schools to take part are Wilmington and Tewksbury, where
students have immersed themselves in the education process and have
acquired knowledge and understanding of countries, like Armenia, that
have endured massacre and hardship throughout their history.
At Wilmington, juniors and seniors, under the tutelage of Maura Tucker
and Lisa Lucia, are utilizing the text, Facing History and
Ourselves. The semester was launched by a guest appearance from
101-year-old survivor Ojen Mazmanian, who rendered a personal account
of her escape from Ottoman Turkish hordes.
Planting the seed are members of the Armenian Genocide Curriculum
Committee of Merrimack Valley, headed by Dro Kanayan, who laid out the
groundwork at the schools
"Students who participate in this interdisciplinary course will
achieve academic, personal and social growth," Wilmington Instructor
Lisa Lucia said. "Using the Holocaust and genocide as case studies,
students will examine the origins of these atrocities, the role
ordinary students played and what we can do today to prevent these
crimes from happening again."
Maura Tucker, another instructor at WHS, added, "Students will have
the opportunity to reflect not only upon the universality of racism
and social injustice, but also upon the importance of global
awareness. They will use inquiry, analysis and interpretation in order
to confront moral questions imbedded in history and literature."
Appearing before the students were committee members Tom Vartabedian
and Albert Movsesian, who covered everything from the genocide to
history, geography, Armenian community in the U.S., literature and
contributions to world civilization.
The students were also given a lesson on how to interview a
survivor. One project that will be activated is an appeal to the
U.S. Postal Service to commemorate a Genocide stamp reflecting "man’s
inhumanity toward man."
"We will make an appeal to the postmaster general and ever President
Obama if necessary," Lucia said. "The Armenians deserve to be
recognized with a stamp, and we shall empower our youth to step
forward in this mission."
The session ended with students from different ethnic backgrounds
writing a message of good will on the blackboard in their native
tongues.
"The response we’ve gotten from the outside community has been
extremely positive," said Kanayan, a grandson of famed Armenian
fighter General Dro. "We’ll continue to push forward until all the
schools have been contacted."
The newly formed curriculum committee has the support and endorsement
of local churches and organizations, including Armenian legislators
and educators.