Armenian School’s Students Remember Earthquake Victims

The Vahan and Anoush Chamlian Armenian School in Glendale held a memorial Tuesday for the dead in last week’s Soviet Armenian earthquake, seeking to draw a message of hope from the tragedy.

At a ceremony that brought tears to dozens of parents who squeezed into the school’s multipurpose room, Principal Vartkes Ghazarian, speaking in Armenian, told the students that they should be thankful to the countries that had turned to help their people.

Students described in both Armenian and English how the event had touched them.

“We feel shock, sorrow and sadness,” said Shant Petrossian, 13, who spoke in English. “We feel helpless, overwhelmed and grief-stricken. But most of all, we feel determined, determined to do something to help.”

Petrossian said many of the school’s 450 students had already

helped at the Glendale relief center, answering calls, sorting clothes and even walking door-to-door to seek donations. He said they had agreed to suspend all social activities during the holiday to continue their effort.

“Lord, give us the strength to become stronger Armenians who will remain dedicated in serving our nation,” he concluded. “Our generation must increase our efforts because of the loss of our brothers and sisters. We must serve for them as well.”

With a background of soft piano music, Ghazarian then exhorted the students to help and to be thankful for the outpouring of sympathy and help from non-Armenians.

To close the ceremony, Yeprem Tabakian, pastor of St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church in Glendale, sang a prayer as students lit candles of mourning.