GUSD Armenian Club high school students take a trip to AYF Big Pines

I was thrilled to hear that we would be introduced to Alex, a dancer specializing in traditional Armenian dances at AYF Big Pines Camp during Glendale Unified School District’s recent annual trip to the camp. Alex performed “Shoorchbar” and “A Ram’s dance” and taught us the steps. His dances were beautiful but what captured my attention the most was his dhol, which is an Armenian cylinder drum traditionally covered with goatskin on both sides, one high and one low in pitch. He rested the “dhol” on his lap and set it off to one side with one arm resting on top of the drum.

Once we knew how to do the dances we performed it collectively in front of the adults, and  Winfred B. Roberson, GUSD’s superintendent, even joined. “The dances we learned at camp were true Armenian dances that came from the villages of Armenia,” said Clark junior Talin Buickian. “These dances were created by our ancestors and carried their stories through each and every movement. The dances demonstrate the Armenians’ strong bond with one another and the importance of culture and tradition.”

“Yes hay em, yev misht hay ge mnam (I am Armenian and will always stay Armenian”) was chanted as the students gathered in front of the buses.  
At 4 p.m. on April 7, Clark Magnet, Hoover, Glendale and Crescenta Valley High Schools Armenian club members met in front of Hoover with sleeping bags and duffel bags waiting to load the bus. Greg Krikorian, GUSD’s School Board clerk and organizer of the first and second annual camp trip, welcomed the students and signed them in with the help of his colleagues, Dr. Armina Gharpetian, school board President; and Taline Arsenian, the Glendale Teachers Association President. As the bus began to move, I could hear students turning on their speakers and playing traditional Armenian music such as “Axpers u es (My brother and I)” and more modern music such as “Mi Gna (Don’t Go).” Many played games on the two-hour drive there such as a sentence-forming games and an Armenian version of pattycake.

The buses arrived at camp after a long trip on the winding roads of the San Gabriel Mountains. After emptying the buses and greeting the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) counselors, I walked back to the main lodge which I distinctly remembered from last year, where Krikorian once again introduced himself and the other district representatives. Krikorian then finally asked a question I was impatiently waiting for: “Who came with us last year for the first annual Armenian Club Camp Trip?”

I had been looking forward to this question since our departure from camp last year. I was very proud to not only be part of the first annual trip, but now I would be returning as a senior for my last year and I was bringing my sister to this amazing camp with me. After the brief introduction, students lined up for khorovaz (Armenian bbq) and rice.

Participants were divided into cabins based on sex and school. Krikorian explained how the camp would provide leadership training and would provide opportunities to discuss the challenges we had to face in life as Armenians, including the legacy of the Armenian Genocide. Krikorian explained that the Turkish Student Association students would be meeting the next week in Irvine to celebrate their own history in which we did not exist.

Seeing the reactions on the students faces led him to explain that the efforts we have set to march on April 24 would once again demonstrate our strength and prosperity. After Krikorian’s motivational speech ended with a standing ovation, he said, “Our blood runs pure and thick on that issue and if I couldn’t say this more. It is the love that we all have for you and the passion that brings us all here today.”

The counselors then dismissed us to collect our belongings and set up our cabin. Although I personally was hesitant about being in a cabin with girls from different schools, everything worked out for the best. I even ended up helping two girls set up their sheets and sleeping bags. We quickly finished setting everything up and ran to the lodge for our first activity.

The first activity commenced when camp-goers finished unpacking. The “ice-breaker” game involved the teens stating something about themselves. At first I had no clue what I would say about myself. I could either talk about my involvement in Publications class at Clark, my 10 years playing piano or something no one knew about me. The first thing that came to mind was the fact that I could make donut sushi. So I quickly wrote on the piece of paper I was given a random comment about one of my abilities.

My friend, Sevada Avanessian, whom I met last year at camp, said, “I have a dog named pootick (dot)” and his brother Argeen Avanessian said, “I wash my face a lot.” The comments were announced and some brought laughter.

Once we finished introducing ourselves, we were dismissed to our cabins for lights out by 11 p.m., although most did not sleep until 2 a.m. We turned off the cabin lights to make it seem like we were sleeping, and then everyone took out their flashlights and placed them on the wooden bars of the ceiling. Groups of girls climbed on the upper bunks and took out Armenian snacks such as seeds or cookies that their mothers had packed for them. After telling some scary stories and gossiping we all jumped down and zipped ourselves into our sleeping bags.
The next day, at 10 a.m., we all hiked to Jackson Lake while playing steal the bacon. “The game was fun because friends were put on different sides and would challenge each other. Armenians also tend to be very competitive so it was very interesting to see how they would react to winning and losing,” said Clark junior Nicholetta Sarkissian. After playing steal the bacon, the students were more comfortable with each other and seemed to get along better.

After three rounds of steal the bacon with the three teams red, blue and orange (the colors of the Armenian flag) the red team won. Everyone was then told to walk around and find at least 2-3 pieces of wood for the campfire at night. All the students grabbed a few pieces and hiked down the mountain, back to the campground where they created a pile for the campfire.

I was excited to meet Supt. Roberson, who had driven for two hours with his wife, Yvette, and two sons. “What an opportunity for you guys to get to know each other, get a chance to learn, keep the cause moving forward, and just grow as young Armenians,” Roberson said. “It’s my pleasure to be able to come up and have dinner with you all and my family and learn about you guys.”

Roberson joined us in a discussion about the problems Armenian students face and possible solutions to these problems. One of the widely debated topics was the reason why the dual immersion program doesn’t extend out of elementary schools such as R.D. White or even Glendale High School, giving the option to students at the other GUSD high schools. “Because Armenian is predominantly spoken in our area, I think it is crucial to teach non-Armenian speakers the language,” said junior Tiana Hovsepian. “This way not only are people learning a new language but as well as immersing themselves into another culture.” As the discussion ended, the students gathered with the school board members, counselors, and Roberson and his family to sing a traditional Armenian song.

Creating a circle and putting our arms over each others shoulders made me feel like I was part of something greater. As the music began, Sevada Avanessian, treasurer of the Armenian Club at Crescenta Valley; Clark senior John Bandek; and I began to lead the group in signing “Axpers u es” (My brother and I). This song captures the struggles an Armenian mother goes through as her son(s) go on to defend their homeland, Armenia. Signing the song brought me to tears and instilled a sense of pride.

I knew the fun-filled weekend with traditional activities and games came to an end on Sunday when students dragging their feet as they returned to the buses to be dropped off at Hoover.

The annual camp is held in order to bring different high schoolers together to celebrate the Armenian culture. Normally, it is held near the day we recognize the Armenian Genocide. Because of the new friends and enjoyable events, I plan to continue to attend this camp in hopes of spreading that happiness to other teens. As Krikorian said, “This is going to be our Armenia.”