“Ani” Armenian Evangelical College History Club Periodical (1965-2017)

“Ani” Armenian Evangelical College History Club Periodical

 (1965-2017)

Dr. Zaven Messerlian

Translated by: Vahe H. Apelian

Recently I received the latest and mostly likely the last copy of the Armenian Evangelical College (AEC) History Club’s periodical “Ani”, which may very well be the only Armenian high school student history publication of such longevity. It has been published in its original cover design since it came about in 1965, at the 50th anniversary of the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. It was the year I graduated from the high school. The attached is my translation of an article Dr. Zaven Messerlian wrote about the periodical "Ani" in that latest issue.

“Ani” is the publication of the Armenian Evangelical College History Club. Its founder and the advisor has been Dr. Zaven Messerlian, who also was the founder and the advisor of the history club from October 1964 to June 2017.

The first issue of the “Ani” Periodical appeared in February 1965 and the second issue of the first year appeared in June 1965.  Henceforth it was published once a year.

Herewith we note the student editor of the year and the month the periodical was published.

1st Year	February	1965	Vahe H. Apelian
	June	1965	Vahe H. Apelian
2nd Year	May	1966	Vehanoush Tekian
3rd Year	December	1967	Artoun Hamalian
4th Year	March	1969	Sona Hamalian
5th Year	March	1970	Ara Tekian
6th Year	March	1971	Ara Tekian
7th Year	March	1972	Vache Minassian
8th Year	April	1973	Vache Minassian
9th Year	April	1974	Viken Gulvartian
10th Year	May	1975	Viken Gulvartian
11th Year	May	1978	Hagop Sulahian
12th Year	May	1980	Khatchig Dedeyan
13th Year	June	1981	Khatchig Dedeyan
14th Year	April	1982	Nerva Fereshetian
15th Year	June	1983	Hrair Koutnouyan
16th Year	June	1985	Hilda Kuredjian
17th Year	June	1986	Heghnar Zeitlian
18th Year	June	1987	Zaven Kouyoumdjian
19th Year	June	1988	Lenda Soghomonian
20th Year	May	1990	Maria Sekilian
21st Year	June	1991	Yoland Nalbandian
22nd Year	June	1992	Maya Hosri
23rd Year	May	1994	Yeghig Torossian
24th Year	June	1995	Yeghig Torossian
25th Year	June	1996	Rita Lao
26th Year	June	1997	Elda Degirmenjian
27th Year	May	1998	Shaghig Doulian

After 1999, “Ani” Periodical did not have student editors. Henceforth the advisor of the history club Dr. Zaven Messerlian edited the writings of the 11th grade Armenian history students focusing on a subject.  Herewith is the listing of the year, the month “Ani” henceforth was published and the subject matter of the year’s issue.

28th Year	May	1999	Artsakh
29th Year	June	2001	Armenian contributions to civilization
30th Year	June	2002	Armenian Kingdoms
31st year	June	2003	Important Armenian historical milestones
32nd Year	June	2004	Armenian history subjects
33rd Year	June	2005	Armenian history subjects
34th Year	June	2006	Celebrated Armenian historical figures
35th Year	June	2007	Armenian Diaspora communities
36th Year	June	2008	Famous battles in Armenian history
37th Year	July	2009	The Armenian Genocide
38th Year	June	2010	Notable Armenian kings
39th Year	June	2011	Important treaties in Armenian history
40th Year	June	2012	Armenian cities in Western Armenia and Cilicia
41st Year	June	2013	Celebrated Armenian women
42nd Year	July	2014	Important dates in Armenian history
43rd Year	June	2015	Armenian Genocide
44th Year	May	2016	The course of Armenian history from 2492 B.C. to 2017 A.D.
45th Year	March	2017	Brief biographies of Armenian kings, prime ministers and presidents.

When we view the names of the past student editors of “Ani” periodical, we realize that many of them brought noteworthy contributions to Armenian life. We mention those familiar to us in chronological order as the editor of “Ani” periodical.

Dr. Vahe H. Apelian – A pharmaceutical scientist by career, editor of books and the author of three volumes sequel “The Way We Were”.

Vehanous Tekian – A renowned Armenian poetess and author of many books.

Artoun Hamalian – A pedagogue, former principal of schools, presently the director of the Education Department of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU).

Sona Hamalian – An activist who has held important civic positions both in Diaspora and in Armenia.

Dr. Ara Tekian – An internationally acclaimed scholar and leader in health professions education and recipient of Ellis Island Award.

Dr. Viken Gulvartian (1956-2016) - A pharmacist by profession and a long time Board Member of AGBU Manougian-Demirjian school. He was instrumental in establishment of a modern Visual Arts Department with its drama, dance, at and music sections.

Hagop Sulahian – An architect and an award-winning artist.

Khatchig Dedeyan – A poet and author of books. For the past many years he is the chancellor at the Armenian Catholicosate of Great House of Cilicia.

Nerses Fereshetian (Kazanjian) – An architect.

Hrair Koutnouyan, MD – A medical doctor.

Hilda Kuredjian Hartounian – The chairwoman of the Tekeyan Cultural Association in New Jersey.

Zaven Kouyoumjian – A well-known Lebanese talk show host, producer, and television personality and author of several books.

Linda Soghomonian Gedinian – A fashion promoter and marketer.

Maria Sekilian – A nurse and a candidate for doctor in nursing.

Yoland Nalbandian – A film director

Maya Hosri – A pedagogue

Yeghig Torossian – The chairman of the West Beirut A.R.F.

Rita Lao (Manjilikian) – A social worker in Lebanon and in Armenia where she currently resides.

Elda Degirmenjian – A pianist and a teacher of piano.

Shaghig Doulian (Titizian) – An employee of a pharmaceutical company.

Dr. Zaven Messerlian, Honorary Principal.

P.S.:    

Heghnar Zeitlian - Heghnar Zeitlian Watenpaugh is professor of Art History at the the University of California, Davis. She is an award-winning author.

Hrant and the Plight of Bantoukht

(remembering  Serop Yeretsian)

Vahe H. Apelian.

Melkon Gurdjian, who wrote under the pen name Hrant, is known among the Western Armenian writers as the author who brought to light the plight of the Armenian migrants from the interior of the country to Bolis, the Armenian word for Constantinople.

Recently I read a book titled “Complete Literary Works” of Melkon Gurdjian. It is subtitled “From Bantoukht's (Migrant’s) Life”. In Armenian it reads «ԱՄԲՈՂՋԱԿԱՆ ԵՐԿԵՐ», Ա. – “ՊԱՆԴՈՒԽՏԻ ԿԵԱՆՔԷՆ”. The book is a compilation of letters Hrant wrote at the urging of his friend Arpiar Arpiarian, who had these letters published in “Massis”, the journal he edited. “Friends of Martyred Writers” published the book and noted the following in their introduction of the author and his literary legacy noting that they are “glad that the second volume of their sequel is devoted to Hrant’s letters about the lives of migrants. These letters constitute one of the more memorable literary works about the  (Armenian) life in the late 19^th century.  According to Arpiar Arpiarian, Hrant is a bitter heart’s poet.  His literary work depicts the inner pain and distress of these souls that remained mostly unheard”.

The following are the milestones of Melkon Gurdjian’s life.

1859. He was born in the village of Havav in Palou, Western Armenia. He was brought to Constantinople in his early adolescent years to continue his education. He graduated from the Üsküdar Lyceum (Djemaran). After which he furthered his education. Henceforth devoted his life to teaching.

1888 – He started contributing to literary journals “Arevelk”,  “Massis” and “Hairenik”, where he had his acclaimed writings about the plight of the Armenian migrants posted under the header “letters from the lives of migrants” signed by his pen name Hrant.

1893 – He got engaged to the noted writer Krikor Odian’s niece. Not long after his engagement, he was imprisoned for a month for suspicions of his political affiliation. He, in fact, had become a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation.

1896 – During the pogroms of Armenians in Bolis, government officials raided his house as well when he was not at home, looking for guns but finding nothing of that sort, confiscated and destroyed his writings. Fearing for his safety he fled for Varna, Bulgaria where he established a school for the children of Armenian refugees fleeing Turkey.

1898 – Contrary to the advice of his wife and his friends, he returned to Constantinople where he was apprehended and imprisoned for six months and later exiled to the interior of country where he remained for the next ten years reporting to the police of his daily whereabouts. During those years he gave private lessons for French to medical students and medical doctors. He also wrote and translated including “Life of Jesus” by the French philosopher and historian Joseph Ernest Renan. In spite of his conforming and abiding by the dictates, he was imprisoned again for two months and his writings were confiscated and destroyed once more.

1909 – He returned to Constantinople after the establishment of a constitutional government in Turkey, and resumed teaching of Armenian language and literature and classical Armenian of which he was regarded an expert. He continued to contribute to literary journals there, “Puzanteon” («Բիզանդիոն»), “Azadamard” («Ազատամարտ») և “Yergounk” («Երկունք»).

1910 – He was elected as a delegate and took part in the election of the Catholicos in Etchmiadzin. Upon his return he published his impressions in a series of articles in “Arevelk”.

1915 – He was also apprehended in April along with the other Armenian intellectuals and community leaders and was sent to the interior of the country where he was also killed.

Migration continues to be inherent to the very fabric of the Armenian social life. I doubt there is an Armenian who does not have a family history that does not include migration. That aspect of our collective social life is so much engrained in our psyche that we have coined a unique word for it in our lexicon,  Bantoukht, well above the common word used to describe migration and migrant in general. I know of no English word that can possibly convey the sentiments the word Bantoukht conveys. It embodies feelings the word migrant could not possibly express on its own. The word amasses sentiments of being a foreigner, or a stranger in a distant land, longing for the home and a way of life left behind and never contemplating making the newly reality a home. No wonder that Hrant titled his letters “Letters from Bantoukht” (Պանդուխտի Նամակներ).

Nowadays, we often sentimentalize the Armenian life in our historic homeland. The unfortunate and sad reality is that the conditions in the interior of the country were mostly brutal to the point that the oppressed, mostly illiterate and living in abject poverty, the Armenian subjects could not even eke out a hand to mouth living forcing many to venture to Constantinople in the hope of saving some money to send home. The migrants were overwhelmingly if not exclusively males, and some as young as fourteen. Displaced, they lived in communal housings, Khans. They mostly congregated based on the region they came from. It is their plight that had catapulted the newly elected Patriarch Khrimian Hairig to take a stand against the National Constitution as ratified because it deprived the interior of the country from adequate representation in the National Assembly to have their grievances heard.

The book I read is comprised of two parts. The first part is the collection of Melkon Gurdjian’s writings in the form of the letters mostly addressed to Arpiar Arpirian. These letters are masterfully written in an impeccable Western Armenian and are highly expressive and moving. They are twenty in number. Each letter depicts and describes mostly a heart-wrenching situation the migrants and the families and parents they left behind experienced. It also depicts the cherishable values the migrants harbored in spite of their harsh reality. Each letter varies in length. The first letter posted in “Massis” is dated 1888 and the 17^th and last letter there is dated 1890. The next three letters were posted in “Hairenik” and are dated 1891, 1892 and 1893 respectively.

The second part of the book is titled  “Figures and Stories” (Պատկերներ եւ Վիմակներ). This section constitutes 9 chapters. They are posted in “Hairenik” (1892(x3), 1893, 1895), “Massis” (1893) and in “Azadamard” (1909, 1912, 1913).

In these letters Hrant described the plight of these migrant workers noting that: “At least one hundred thousand have been cast away from their homes. Do you know who are they? They are those who would have worked, toiled in the fields, harvested the crop. After sacrificing all they can, they send home a meager saving.” He continued on noting that, “ It has been like this for centuries. The tragedy continues today much like a worm that nibbles the lungs of the sick” and alerts saying, “if the migration continues like this, our inner provinces will be depopulated today or tomorrow; know of this, it is a horrible truth”. A hundred and thirty years later, Hrant’s warning remains compelling and rings a bell.  

By assembling Hrant’s writings from these various journals the members of the association lived up to their names as true friends of martyred writers. Had they not done so Hrant’s writings would have remained scattered in literary journals long ceased from publication and would have been destined for oblivion. We also would have been deprived of the true picture of a historic reality that had plaqued the life of the Armenian subjects in the interior Turkey for generations. Assembling his letters in a book, the “Friends of Martyred Writers” safeguarded that historic reality and the literary legacy of this devoted martyred writer.

The book is 218 pages long and measures 15x20 cm. The late Serop Yeretsian had gifted this book to me. It is in soft cover but Serop had his copy bound in hard cover. I post this piece in his memory.

Lest We Forget: “Friends of Martyred Writers”

Lest We Forget: “Friends of Martyred Writers”

Translated by: Vahe H. Apelian

Recently I read a book that was published in Paris in 1931 and was marked as the second volume of a sequel by an association that went by the name of “Friends of Martyred Writers” (FMW).  The volume I read was by Hrant (Melkon Gourjian) and is marked as his complete works. The attached is my summary translation of the association that appeared as an appendix in the said volume. Many of the names mentioned had an initial only. The names depicted in parenthesis are my addition for clarity.

“Many talented Western Armenian writers were martyred during the war depriving them of begetting their literary legacy in a book. Others have died even before the war leaving behind their literary works scattered in many journals and periodicals.

A decade after the ending of the war, there still has not been a serious attempt to collect and publish the scattered literary works of these dedicated servants of the Armenian pen. Relatively speaking calmer days prevail nowadays and it is high time such an endeavor is accomplished.

Towards this goal in September 1929 we formed a publication committee named “Friends of Martyred Writers”, that aims to collect and publish the literary works of martyred and dead writers accompanied by a scholarly study of their lives and literary works.

For a start the “Friends of Martyred Writers” has decided to publish 12 volumes from the literary works of the following martyred or dead writes:

Melkon Gurjian (Hrant), Մելքոն Կիւրճեան (Հրանդ)

Kegham Der Garabedian (Mlo Kegham), Գեղամ Տէր Կարապէտեան (Մլոյ Գեղամ)

Kegham Parseghian, Գեղամ Բարսեղեան

D. (Dikran) Cheogurian, Տ. (Տիգրան) Չէօկիւրեան

A. (Ardashes) Haroutiunian,  Ա. (ԱրտաշէսՕ. Յարութիւնեան  

K. (Krikor) Zohrab, Գ. (Գրիգոր). Զօհրապ)

A. (Arpiar) Arpriarian, Ա. (Արբիար) Արբիարեան

Y. (Yervant) Odian, Ե. (Երուանդ) Օտեան

Y. (Yervant) Srmakeshkhanlian (Yeroukhan), Ե. (Երուանդ) Սրմաքէշխանլեան (Երուխան)

Roupen Sevag, Ռուբէն Սեւակ

D. (Diran) Chrakian, Տ. (Տիրան) Չրաքեան

The first two volumes have already seen light of day. Kegham Der Garabedian’s and Kegham Parseghian works are being published. The assembly of the literary works of the others is in process.

The founding members of the “Friends of Martyred Writers” (FMW) are:

In Paris

S. (Simon) Vratsian, Ս. (Սիմոն) Վրացեան

Megerdich Barsamian, Մկրտիչ Պարսամեան

Doctor L. Krikorian, Տոքթ. Լ. Գրիգորեան

Levon Mozian, Լեւոն Մօզեան

Vazken Shoushanian, Վազգէն Շուշանեան

Garo Sassouni, Կարօ Սասունի

Sh. (Shavarsh) Nartouni, Շ. (Շաւարշ) Նարդունի

Megerdich Yeretsiants, Մկրտիչ Երեցեանց

Ohan Garo, Օհան Կարօ

New York

Doctor Hovh. K. Erganian, Տոքթ. Յովհ. Գ. Էրկանեան

Yetvart Sahagian, Եդուարդ Սահակեան

Ghazar E. Boyajian, Ղազար Ե. Պոյաճեան

Doctor Levon Ajemian, Տոքթ. Լեւոն Աճէմեան

Hagop Andonian, Յակոբ Անտոնեան

Hagop Khashmanian, Յակոբ Խաշմանեան

Asadour Khderian, Ասատուր Խտրեան

Hovnan Gh. Garabedian, Յովնան Ղ. Կարապետեան

Bed A. Geoljek, Պետ. Ա. Կէօլճիկ

H. Baruyrian, Յ. Պարոյրեան

Pastor A. A. Bedigian, Պատ. Ա. Ա. Պետիկեան

Hovsep Poushman. Յովսէբ Փուշման

The accomplishment of this endeavor resonates in the hearts of every Armenian.  We look forward for the moral and financial support of every Armenian and anticipate having many interested readers who will subscribe to receive the publications by the “Friends of Martyred Writers”. By supporting our cause the readers will not only have a collection of the meticulously printed books by these writers but will also render much service for the preservation of Armenian culture. All the income will be used towards the publication and a detailed annual report will be issued.

We would like to thank the following for their donations:  

Doctor Hovh(annes) Erganian (Տոքթ. Յովհ. Էրկանեան), New York, towards publishing Hrant’s volume, $100.

B. Gh. E. Boyajian (Պ. Ղ. Ե. Պոյաճեան), New York, towards publishing Zohrab’s volume, $100.

B. H. Baruyrian (Պ. Յ. Պարոյրեան), New York, towards pubishing A. Arpiarian’s volume, $100.

Dikran Khan Kelegian (Տիգրան Խան Քէլէկեան), Paris, towards publishing D. Chrakian’s volume, $100.”

****

Note: Attached to this presentation is a page long report detailing the income and expenditure covering September 1929 to December 1930,  presumably the association’s first year of operation.

No Season For Gifting

Vahe H. Apelian

It is the season for gifting. In Lebanon then, maybe presently as well, we opened the season’s gifts not on Christmas day but on the New Year day. The gifts remained wrapped under the ornamental tree until the first day of the New Year. I say ornamental tree because Lebanese Muslims and Christians alike decorated a tree in their homes and in their business showcases. Let us not forget that the symbol of Lebanon is the biblical Cedar tree. The Christians included a nativity scene under the ornamental tree. 

Several incidences come to my mind about gifts and gifting.

I was in my HS junior or senior year when a guest came from the United States and stayed in the inn my father ran, the famed Hotel Lux. She said she had brought a gift to my friend and classmate from his relative in the U.S. I told him to come and pick the gift and he did. But he, I, and my parents as well were taken back when she presented the gift. It was a dispenser of single razor blades we used for shaving. This was fifty plus years ago and the United States of America was the distant land of milk and honey for us. My friend courteously accepted the gift, inquired about his relative but he left the dispenser behind when he took leave of us, letting us know that I can keep it or give it to someone else.  Surely there  was an element of understandable hurt there for having received shaving blades from his relative from the U.S.A. To ease him out of the situation I did not refuse him. The incident has remained etched in my memory. I refrain from mentioning my friend’s name. Many of my readers know him.

The second incident about gifting is a story our frequent Afghan guest to Hotel Lux, Mr. Mohammad Zaman, told us about the incident with amusement. There was a time when the United States and Afghanistan had warm relations.  President Eisenhower and his Vice President Richard Nixon visited Afghanistan. According to Wikipedia it was in 1953 when Vice President Nixon visited Afghanistan. It so happened that a high placed friend of Mr. Mohammed Zaman was designated as Nixon’s driver. The talk of those who knew driver had been the tangible monetary gift the driver would likely be receiving from the president of the U.S. Nixon at the end of his tour. But at the end of the tour, all that Mr. Nixon had presented to the driver to his astonishment was his personalized White House business card. The gesture had not only caused a huge disappointment if not an embarrassment to the driver but also to all those who knew him. I doubt that the driver could have made use of that business card then as a tender for a loaf of bread in Afghanistan. Gifts can be no gifts at all.

The third incident I remember about gifting happened to me in 1995/96, during my visit to Lebanon after an absence of almost twenty years. Throughout my stay there I became a guest of my cousin the Hoglinds and with a few other relatives. As a parting gift I bought a set of worry beads, or middle eastern social rosary to my elder relative who hosted me and I presented him the gift during after our lunch with his children and their families. He thanked me but not only he did not open the gift but took it to his room and left it there. I had forgotten that in Lebanon  we considered a gift a private matter and did not open it in front of the presenter of the gift especially if there was company. I am not sure if that was a universal custom in Lebanon but it was within my social circle in contrast to the expected customary proclamations of appreciation I had come to learn during the past twenty years in the United States where we unwrapped the gift we received and uttered our unabashed appreciation. Of course in doing so we show our appreciation of the gesture more so than to the gift itself.  I saw our elder relative using the worry beads the next day. It was not an ordinary worry beads. No word was uttered, but I knew he had liked it and had already started using it.

Gifting is an art and a difficult one at that. We naturally appreciate the thought and the gesture and yet we cannot discount the gift  as it may become the subject of our appreciation no less.  

As to that single blades dispenser, I soon realized that it was not the ordinary matchbox size dispenser. It contained far more blades than the ones we purchased from the store. Consequently I ended up using the blades from the dispenser for months and whenever I discarded the used blade and replaced it with a new one from the dispenser, I remembered the gift and I realized how a beautiful and thoughtful gift it was.

That incident also set a pattern for me. Next to books, on most occasions I gift razor blades. Things have changed, so have the razor blades. The single blade razor is now gone into history. A new generation of cutting edge technology houses up to five sharp edges on single blade. Such blades are a la mode nowadays and can be expensive.  One cannot go wrong with such a useful gift to the guys. 

But gifting books remain my favorite for books make for far more lasting gifts. Most may not be read, but they remain on a book shelf or somewhere in the house and pop out at an unexpected moment rekindling memories and remembrances. Recently my paternal cousin Ara Apelian, M.D., posted a snap shot of a book I have gifted him in 1992, thirty years ago. I realized  what I had suspected all along that books make for lasting gift is true. I do not remember the occasion but from the date I can tell it was not meant to be as a year end holiday gifting. Yes, there is no season for gifting.

As to gifting the gals, that is my wife’s domain and I pray it remains that way until the last days of my life.

Happy gifting.

noted: updated on December 28, 2021.