Armenia photo takes first place in Washington competition

Armenia photo takes first place in Washington competitionWASHINGTON - Serli Hacikoglu, an amateur photographer from Bethesda, Md., won first place in the "Student Travel" category at the FotoWeek DC competition held November 7-14. Ms. Hacikoglu, who lived most of last three years in Armenia and whose photo essays have appeared in the Armenian Reporter, was honored for a photo she took on the Yerevan-Gyumri road. "A friend at National Geographic, Kara Setian Marston, knew I was very much involved with photojournalism and photography," Ms. Hacikoglu explained in an e-mail. "She contacted me, recommending I submit my work to the FotoWeek DC." "As I had never submitted work to a photo contest before, I didn't think much of the recommendation. The day submissions were due, I reconsidered with only minutes to spare," she wrote. A month later, at an award ceremony held at the National Geographic Society, Ms. Hacikoglu's Armenia photo was announced first place winner in the "student travel" category. In all, 16 first-place awards were given, 11 to professionals and five to students, out of more than 3,500 submissions that came from 28 countries. Source:armeniadiaspora.com

Merrimack Valley Knights of Vartan sponsor Armenian cultural night

Started out as a simple film depicting Armenia's beauty turned into a full-fledged Armenian cultural evening that included the donation of several books to Andover Memorial Hall Library. An overwhelming crowd turned out for the 2-hour event which was sponsored by the Arakadz Lodge, Merrimack Valley Chapter, Knights of Vartan. The evening also included a talk on the highlights of Armenian history and culture by Dr. Levon Chorbajian, sociology professor, UMass/Lowell, himself a knight as well as respected Armenian scholar. Arakadz Lodge, Merrimack Valley Knights of Vartan, donated a collection of Armenian books to the Andover Public Library. 

Making the presentation to Emily Classon, community services librarian, is Dr. Chorbajian covered 3000 years in 15 minutes – a daunting task that was handled precisely and without unnecessary verbiage. Several audience members were non-Armenians who found the subject matter fascinating. His discussion was a prelude to the Merrimack Valley premiere of a film, Armenia: Sleeping Beauty, a travel documentary containing breath-taking scenes from the majestic landscape of Mount Ararat and Arakatz to the charming, peaceful Lake Sevan. 

Withh finely selected music and guided by Lucine Tovmassian, a former Miss Armenia, the movie took viewers on a tour of modern-day Yerevan as well as to historic churches and monuments. Armenian artifacts were on display from the Armenian Library & Museum of America in Watertown, joined by archivist Gary Lind-Sinanian, who gave a brief overview of the museum's work and was available to answer questions. The program was highlighted by the donation of Armenian books to the library, adding to a vast collection already in place. 

Presentation was made by Commander Edgar Movsesian. "These books will go a long way toward complementing the resources we offer on Armenia," said Emily Classon, community services librarian. "The Armenians have a proud and venerable history which can only be extended through proper outreach. We thank the Knights for this important contribution." A coffee table featuring a repository of Armenian pastries brought the audience together in an atmosphere of conviviality. Source:reporter.am

Birthright Armenia Online Language Tutorial: A Free and Undiscovered Treasure

Finding that perfect language tutorial program is inevitably tough. First of all, everyone learns in a different way. Secondly, you get what you pay for. The $20 language tapes you pop in on the drive to work assume you’ve mastered the basic phonetics and skills of the target language in the first 30 seconds of the spool. 

Rosetta Stone is said to be an excellent teaching tool (expensive, maybe; not to mention that the tutorial repertoire does not include Armenian). But, there is a break in this mold. Just a few clicks away from Google, the Birthright Armenia Eastern Armenian language tutorial has until now been a kept treasure for those frugal language learners searching diligently for a top-quality Armenian tutorial. Designed by a team in Armenia led by lawyer and linguist Tom Samuelian, the language tutorial is a true asset for those struggling to learn Armenian with limited resources. It was quickly deemed a great feat in language learning for non-Armenian and Western Armenian-speaking students alike. Although initially developed to help Birthright volunteers develop their language skills prior to arriving in Armenia to start their public service internships, the tutorial is now being utilized by a number of non-Birthright Armenia volunteers. 

The language tutorial is easily one of the most dynamic and effective Armenian language tools available. From Great Britain to Australia, Los Angeles to Lebanon, the tutorial is quickly finding itself onto the screens of Armenians and non-Armenians from a broad spectrum of professions—law to chemical engineering, music to business—all with various desires for learning. Raymond Lim, a tutorial user from Los Angeles, is an example of the diverse non-volunteer demographic. 

“The more I discovered about Armenia, the more intrigued I became,” he said. “I am Chinese/Burmese, but I guess I fell in love with Armenia. Holding onto their identities and never forgetting who they are and where they came from, who have such a big culture and tradition, who simply know who they are. I am intrigued and simply infatuated by it. Maybe that is why I study Armenian.” Like Lim, quite a few Western Armenian speakers currently using the tutorial to improve their Eastern Armenian skills for work and travel in Armenia expressed great satisfaction with the program and the importance of keeping the Armenian language breathing. 

“I believe maintaining one’s language is imperative to the furtherance of the society,” said Berj Bahtiarian of Mahwah, N.J.. Though Bahtiarian speaks Western Armenian fluently, business has of late been calling him to Yerevan, and the introduction to the eastern dialect has certainly eased his transition. Using a method similar to Rosetta Stone, the language tutorial utilizes the concept of dynamic immersion to introduce English-speaking learners to the cultural intricacies of the target language. Users of the program have all commented on the efficacy of this method in learning a language not practiced in their daily lives. Fittingly organized vis-à-vis the format of the Armenian map, each of the tutorial’s lessons is named after a region in Armenia. As a result, not only are users broadening their skills, they are becoming more familiar with the geography of the Armenian Republic, its monasteries, history, and culture. Twelve unit lessons including a pre-test, vocabulary, dialogues, grammar, exercises, songs and poems, and a post-test to measure one’s progress. 

The grammar sections include written Armenian, and its English transliteration and translation. A short introduction to the alphabet is also provided, followed by a click-and-drag comprehension game. “I was pleasantly surprised that the language tutorial allowed me to learn the alphabet,” said Yuliya Strizhkova from Sydney, Australia. Strizhkova married a half-Armenian who lived in Russia, and is determined to learn the language in order to pass it on to her two children. One user from California began using the program because her fiancé is Armenian, and knowing the language was imperative in order to better integrate into diasporan life and culture. Anouch Adjemian, a law student from Belgium, is of half-Armenian, half-Vietnamese descent, and was so intrigued by the tutorial that she started to inquire more about volunteer service. 

A year later, Adjemian is in Armenia volunteering through Birthright Armenia.” Like Adjemian, the language tutorial has given some users a forum in which to discover their Armenian roots. Stephen Brittain is half-Armenian from Rochester, England. He shared, “It is only in the evening of my life that I’ve investigated what it is to be Armenian. On my visits I feel most inadequate only knowing English. 

The thought is, how can a part-Armenian not know his own language!” While most of its current users have simply found the tutorial via an internet search, more and more are learning about it by reputation. And how much does it cost to sign up? Quantity here does in no way dictates quality—it is free to anyone interested in learning. After all, language is invaluable. And, as the Armenian proverb goes, “Kani lezu imanas, aynkan mart es” (The more languages you know, the better man you are). To sign up to use the tutorial or learn more about volunteer service in Armenia, visit Source:armenianweekly.com