In memory of my high school classmates Vahe Kludjian, Vahe Injejikian, Melkon Soukiassian, Hovig Kurkjian, Rita Shamlian. We remember them as we celebrate the centennial of the Armenian Evangelical College, we graduated in 1965, at the semi centennial of the Armenian Genocide.
“Mount Sipan is situated on the northern shore of Lake Van. The real height of the mountain is 4058 instead of the previously known 4434 meters which is incorrect. There are several extrusive formations on the peak which is covered by meadows. According to ancient Armenian Legends, Sipan is the symbol of Hayk and Nemrut is the Symbol of Bel. The German geographer Maurice Wagner (1813-1887) called Sipan “Proud Mountain” for its majesty.” (Armenian Geography)
Sipan is also the name of yearbook of the Armenian Evangelical College (AEC) in Beirut. It is the first Armenian high school in Lebanon, the survivor of the Armenian Genocide founded in 1923. I do not know when Sipan was first published as the high school’s yearbook. It was pretty much established when I graduated in 1965. The last yearbook was recently published and posted on line. Its cover, along with the cover of the 1965 yearbook, the year our class graduated, are depicted above.
Sipan is also the name of the evening school the students of AEC founded. Many of its graduates had left Lebanon by 1978 because of the impending civil war. I was among them. I left Lebanon in 1976 as another U.S. immigrant. The bonds among its former students remained strong in the New World and culminated in founding of the Armenian Evangelical College Student Association of America. I remember the founding. It was at the spur of the moment in doctor Ara Manougian’s house in Paramus, NJ. He had invited us for a pool party. It was then that a committee came about. I remember Ara Manougian, the late Sona Hamalian, Berjouhy Barsoumian, Vatche Baghdigian as the members of the committee with the Seta and Khoren Nalbandian, who had taught in the school, and Hagop Kasparian who was its principle, acting as advisors. It is mostly through the efforts of these former students and faculty that an evening school was started on the premises of the Armenian Presbyterian Church, in Paramus, NJ. The intent was to have an evening long schooling for our children. We named it Sipan after our high school’s yearbook.
The Sipan Armenian school is now run by its former students and has become a landmark of sorts as far as an Armenian evening school in America is concerned. This coming Friday evening, on September 8, 2023, as was always the case since its founding, the school will start its classes in the 45th anniversary of its founding, in the facilities generously made available for the school by the board of trustees of the Armenian Presbyterian Cnurch in Paramus NJ.
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The former students of the Armenian Evangelical College (AEC) in the U.S. will be celebrating the centennial of its founding during September 29 to October 2, 2023 weekend, in Los Angeles. The dates are inclusive. It’s world-renowned former student Noubar Afeyan will be the key speaker of the event. Those who continue to live in Lebanon already celebrated the centennial in four successive events.
The students of my graduating class who are in the United States will be attending the centennial celebration of the school. As we celebrate the centennial, we remember our classmates who are no long with us.
Below are the pictures of the 1965 graduating class students with the motto each chose.
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