Armenian Culture

Darleene Barrientos Balboa Elementary School teacher Maureen Miller has helped tutor some of the district's most gifted students. For the next two weeks, beginning Friday, she will help teach students from another culture, and, in the process, hopes to learn something herself. Miller will leave for Armenia, where she will stay with an Armenian teacher and learn about students and teaching methods in the country. The trip will be the beginning of a year-long working relationship with her Armenian counterpart, connecting their students through projects and the Internet.

The Glendale News-Press has the ability to ameliorate much of the racial tension that exists in our community, but instead it chooses to feed off of it. Time and time again I find reader responses in the Community Forum expressing feelings of discontent with the coverage of news stories that are of interest to Glendale residents with ties to the Armenian culture. The fact that these reader responses are published indicates that the News-Press is aware of the dissatisfaction of some of Glendale's non-Armenian community.

Alecia Foster GLENDALE -- From musical groups to arts and crafts - the Armenian Cultural Festival offered something for everyone. The two-day event, which wrapped up Sunday afternoon, highlighted and celebrated a number of the artistic and cultural aspects of the Armenian community. "We wanted to share our rich heritage with the community," said Doris Demirjian, communications manager for the festival. The event was sponsored by the Armenian Cultural & Arts Festival Inc., a nonprofit organization that encourages arts education.

Buck Wargo GLENDALE HIGH SCHOOL -- Glendale High School students got a social studies lesson Monday that many hope created more understanding among ethnic groups. The school's Armenian Club sponsored a program to remember the 85th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, in which forces of the Ottoman-Turkish Empire killed more than 1.5 million people. There were speeches by students and politicians, and ethnic music and dances to show off Armenian culture.

Media City Ballet saluted Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian with an emotional performance Saturday night at the Alex Theatre. Jealousy and fear were wrapped into selections from ?Masquerade,? choreographed by the company?s artistic director, Natasha Middleton. The tale is about a prince who throws an elaborate party and is given a stolen bracelet by a masked guest. The bracelet belongs to the main character, Nina, and when the prince shows her husband the bracelet, he becomes suspicious of a liaison.

On Jan. 3, students from Armenian Clubs throughout Glendale district high schools reached out to the educational community to thank them for their dedication and to share in the celebration of Armenian Christmas that was on Jan. 6. The Armenian Parents Club of Crescenta Valley High School prepared traditional Armenian food for the evening event. The parents club is known for its many talented parent chefs because they prepare appreciation luncheons for Crescenta Valley teachers throughout the year.

NORTHWEST GLENDALE ? Harut Hovsepyan is a typical Armenian dad, according to the man who created him. "He is a model of the people around us," said Hayk Manukyan, 23, of Glendale. "He is our uncles, fathers?. He was always in my sketchbook, even back in high school. I would work on drawings of funny Armenian people." Harut is also the central character in a series of animated shorts by Hayasa Pictures ? an animation company that Manukyan started about a year ago, and now leads with a fellow Glendale High School graduate Henri Hovanessyan.

Books could offer understanding to all I am pleased that Aline Bezdikian has written two books for children (?Passing along Armenian culture,? Dec. 12), but I think they should be translated into English so that other children could become familiar with the Armenian culture, too. If we as adults could help youngsters learn and accept the difference in the rituals and habits of each country, all the antagonism could disappear. Starting with everyday children?s lives in their playing and school lives would be wonderful.