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AGBU Lebanon Marks Twin Anniversaries with Special Student Events

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  • AGBU Lebanon Marks Twin Anniversaries with Special Student Events

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    AGBU Press Office
    55 East 59th Street
    New York, NY 10022-1112
    Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
    Fax: 212.319.6507
    Email: [email protected]
    Website: www.agbu.org


    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 (www.agbu.org) 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.
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