1997_12 The Daily Collegian December 1997

              December 1997
Hye Sharzhoom
ODABASHIAN,
Cont from Page 4
brother Khoren was able to get safe-passage papers for the rest of the family still in Erzurum
through his job in the German embassy. Shortly after Karekin's sister Vartanoush and her
children Aram and Vartan, his cousin Pailag and Karekin's niece Ashkhen with brothers
Suren and Haig arrived. A Mr. DOlci, an Italian, heard about the family's escape from the
interior of Turkey and wanted to help. He got in touch with Vartanoush and hearing the
stories of the genocide wished to send Aram, Vartan, and Haig to St. Lazzaro, the island near
Venice run by the Mekhitarist Armenians.
At the end of the war in 1918 Karekin was discharged from the embassy, he returned
home to the European side of Istanbul. Shortly after in 1919 he married Noemi. Karekin was
44 at the time and had not thought of marriage for years because his highest priority was
keeping his family safe. Noemi was 20 years his junior.
In 1920, with his brother Nerses as godfather, my aunt Hasmig was born. A year later
Karekin's younger sister Azniv and her husband Kevork Kazazian and daughters Heranush
6, and Araxy 2, arrived from Russia where they had gone to escape the massacres. They all
lived together and helped each other so they could live relatively well. However soon
afterwards they realized the Turks were beginning their usual harassing and persecuting and
it was time for them to leave Istanbul and emigrate to America for a new life.
Karekin's sister Aznive and tier family decided to go to Bulgaria where her husband
Kevork had an older brother. Karekin's sister Vartanush, his mother, and a friend Arshavir
stayed in Istanbul and later left.
An Italian freighter took Karekin and his family to Marseilles where his daughter, my
grandmother Angele, was born in 1922. From France Karekin decided to go direcdy to
Mexico to make their entry into die United States easier since they had no sponsors. It is also
where Karekin met up with Vartanoush and his mother. They liked the Mexico City climate
so much they decided to stay in Mexico City. In 1924 they had a son Boghosig who died in
an auto accident when he was two years old. Then their last child my aunt Iris was born in
1926.
While my Aunt Hasmig was visiting relatives in Fresno, CA, she met her husband Ted
Markarian. My Aunt Iris met her husb'ahd Sarkis Sahatdjian in Fresno when she was visiting
her sister Hasmig. My grandmother Angele met my grandfather Mugerdich Harutinian in
Mexico City where he owned a slipper factory. My grandparents had three children, Aram
(my father), Nora, and Sonia. In 1975 my father came to Fresno to visit his relatives. While
in Fresno he met his wife and my mother Joyce Donabedian at a picnic at the Hagopian center.
In 1979 they had their first child, a son they named Michael and in 1980 they had a daughter
they named Barbara.
Thank you to my aunt. Jasmine Markarian, who assisted me by providing additional
details of my family history.
GYUMRI,cont from Page 1
MarzTKnarik Khachatrian. Deputy
Director of Educational Section in
Gyumri School No.l; Knarik
Aharonyan, Principal, State School
No. 4, (handicapped and orphan
population); Anahit Haroutunian,
Head of the Humanities section/
teacher of die "Photon" School in
Gyumri; Lilia Hovsepian. vice-
principal education section.
"Temp" State school. Gyumri;
Gurgen Tarakhchian, Deputy Di¬
rector of education and curriculum
of the Gyumri Ghevond Alishan
State School #8; Spanak Torosian.
principal/teacher, Middle School
of Vahramashen; Samvel
Hovannisian, vice-principal, Byron
School No. 20 (Private school) in
Gyumri; Zohrab Chaghayan, di¬
rector. Basic School of the Gyumri
Pedagogical Institute; and Samvel
Grigorian, principal. Secondary
School in Gyumri.
The guests were greeted on
Friday afternoon, October 17, by
Barlow Der Mugrdechian of the
Armenian Studies Program, and by
interpreters Ashot Hagopian and
Lucy Erysian, who gave the group
an orientation for the program and
a campus tour.
On Monday afternoon, a spe¬
cial tour Of Fresno was arranged.
Stops included a visit'to Holy Trin¬
ity Armenian Apostolic Church and
a tour of die Valley Lahvosh Bak¬
ing Company facilities, led by
Agnes Saghatelian. A trip to the
•Ararat Armenian Cemetery in¬
cluded a visit to the monument dedi¬
cated to Soghomon Tehlerian and a
visit to many sites made famous by
William Saroyan.
CSUF President Dr. John
Welty welcomed the group in his
campus office and discussed the
scope of the visit and the activities
A visit to the Powers-Ginsburg
of the group. Later the group mem¬
bers received a signed copy of a
photograph with the President.
The Armenian Community
School of Fresno and Principal Seth
Atamian hosted the group on Tues- ''
day, October 21 for a four of the
facilities, followed by lunch. Group
members had the opportunity to
observe the students and staff of
the school. Later a trip to the Will¬
iam Saroyan permanent exhibit at
the Fresno Metropolitan Museum
was of immense interest to the
group, who spent several hours in
exploring the museum.
Each day group members ob¬
served and participated in activi¬
ties designed to make them aware
of how the primary and secondary
school system in the United States
functions. Site visits to local high-
schools were planned and there
were opportunities to interact with
students, teachers, and administta-
tors.
Classes on the usage of corn-
School in Fresno
puter technology for instruction
were taught by Otto Benavides.
Director of Instructional Technol¬
ogy for the School of Education.
Hands on experience introduced
the participants to how the com¬
puter can be utilized in the class¬
room.
A trip to San Francisco was the
highlight of the first week. Mrs.
Jacqueline Kazarian, founder of the
William Saroyan San Francisco
Cultural Resource Center, hosted
the group for an informal tour of
her home and a discussion on Wil¬
liam Saroyan. Interpreter Ashot
Hagopian escorted the group to San
Francisco.
On Monday of the following
week, principal Jim Green wel¬
comed the group to North Fork
Elementary School nestled in the
foothills of Fresno County and took
them on a tour of die rural school.
The visitors were impressed by the
use of technology in the classrooms
and die modern equipment that stu¬
dents had the
opportunity to
use. including
laptop comput¬
ers.
That after¬
noon, a visit to
Vicror Packing
Inc. in Madera
introduced the
group to die rich
agricultural heri¬
tage ofMie San
Joaquin Valley.
Sarkis
Sahatdjian and .
son Victor
Sahatdjian
greeted the
group and gave
diem a tour of die
raisin packing facilities. Sarkis
Sahatdjian explained the history of
Armenians in agriculture in die area.
Raisins were given to all of the
visitors.
On Tuesday, October 28. after
visiting local schools, the group
was hosted to a lunch at die monthly
luncheon meeting of the Armenian
General Benevolent Union of
Fresno. Many community mem¬
bers had a chance to ask questions
to the group about current condi¬
tions in Armenia. Later that same
evening teacher Zaroohi Der
Mugrdechian hosted the visitors at
a dinner held at hen home. Local
area Armenian educators joined the
visitors from Armenia and a lively
exchange of ideas took place.
On Wednesday October 29.
the group visited the CSU Fresno
Child DevelopmentCenter and had
an ppportuniiy to visit and observe
how children are taught in the pro¬
gram. That evening, the Fresno
Armenian community had a chance
to visit with the group at a gather¬
ing held at the Armenian Commu¬
nity School of Fresno. Highlights
from the evening included viewing
a video from Gyumri and a display
of children's art.
The next day. the group visited
the Fresno County Office of Edu¬
cation and made site visits to schools
which included students who are
physically or intellectually chal¬
lenged. Charlene Samuelian and
Armen Bacon from the Fresno
County Office of Education accom¬
panied die group on their site visits.
This visit impressed die visitors
with the care thai the American
school system has for students.
That evening. Mr. and Mrs.
Vartkes and Nazik Messerlian and
family hosted adfnner at their home
in honor of the Armenian group.
The Messerlians were recent visi¬
tors to, Armenia and the guest en¬
joyed relating their experiences
with the hosts.
The second weekend was high¬
lighted by a visit to Los Angeles
and to Disneyland. Escorted by in¬
terpreters V iktoriya Yerkanyan and
Hagop Ekmekchyan. they visited
the large Armenian community of
Los Angeles.
Culminating the training
course was a going away dinner
held at the King of Kebobs restau¬
rant in Fresno. Group participants
received a diploma signifying their
satisfactory completion of the trai n-
ing program. Barlow Der
Mugrdechian of the .Armenian
Studies Program, who acted as co¬
ordinator for the interpreters and
arranged the logistics for the pro¬
gram, also distributed mementos
of the Fresno stay.
The Armenian principals and
vice-principals returned to Gyumri
early on Wednesday, November 5.
1997.
.
*