Community - Armenian Reporter

10 The Armenian Reporter | July 12, 2008
Community
Bandazian scholarship announces recipients for 2008
RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia
D. Bandazian Scholarship Fund has
announced its 2008 grants, which
are being awarded to four deserving
young women.
Lara Mary Sardarbegians, Sossy
Tatarian, and Tamar Sivaslian, all
of Rockville, Md., and Tania A. Zurnacian
of Richmond, Va., each received
$1,000 grants.
Lara Mary Sardarbegians is attending
James Madison University
of Virginia in its School of Anthropology.
Sossy Tatarian is attending
the University of Maryland, studying
Physiology and Neurobiology.
Tamar Sivaslian is attending the
University of Maryland, studying
Pre-Medical Technology. Tania
by Andrew Kevorkian
Zurnacian is attending Purchase
College of New York University,
studying Business Administration.
In a statement, the Bandazian
Scholarship board of trustees
wished each recipient well in her
academic pursuits and Armenian
community involvement.
After her passing in 1997, the heirs
of Virginia D. Bandazian – daughters
Ardemis Jerikian and Melanie
Kerneklian, and son Bedros Bandazian,
and their spouses – established
the Virginia D. Bandazian Scholarship
Fund to honor the life and example
of “a true Armenian mother.”
The scholarship awards are restricted
to Armenian women whose
legal residence is in the Maryland,
PHILADELPHIA – Armenians
have the opportunity to sponsor a
workshop that will support a young
Armenian who has written a play
about an Armenian family that explores
the themes of love, loyalty,
and filial duty.
“It is a rare opportunity for Armenians
to assert their support
of their enrichment of the culture
at large with an expression of our
own particular cultural manifestation,”
said Paul Meshejian, producer-director-actor
who is artistic
director of PlayPenn, which conducts
a six-week series of workshops
for young playwrights and
their work.
Each year PlayPenn invites
six playwrights to Philadelphia
to work on their plays and gives
them the full support necessary
to remove all friction from the artistic
process for the two weeks
they are in residence, Meshejian
explained. “Nothing is more
important to us than providing
a fertile environment in which
the playwright can work without
commercial pressures. We pride
ourselves on keeping outside
pressures from influencing the
path writers take during their
time with us,” he said.
Set in 1958 Beirut, Another
Man’s Son, by Silva Semerciyan,
tells the story of an Armenian
family that is forced to confront
the hidden consequences of genocide.
Lucine, the central character,
is an ambitious young nurse with
a tyrannical father, five younger
sisters, and a mother who refuses
to leave her bedroom. When Lucine
falls pregnant out of wedlock,
she must choose between her
future and the welfare of others.
This play begins to get at how tyranny
transmits itself from being
Virginia, or Washington, D.C. area,
and who are active in the various
Armenian Church and community
activities. Active participation in
the Armenian Youth Federation
(ayf), Armenian Church Youth
Organization of America (acyoa),
or Homenentmen is desirable, but
activity in similar Armenian organizations
is acceptable for qualification,
along with academic standards
and financial need.
Application forms for scholarship
grants for the upcoming academic
year can be obtained from the St.
James Armenian Church of Richmond,
the Sourp Khatch Armenian
Church of Bethesda, or the St. Mary
Armenian Church of Washington.
Donations being sought for Armenian playwright’s new work
inflicted by others to being inflicted
within a family and ultimately
within oneself. “It is a thoroughly
engaging story of one family during
a transitional period in the
rebuilding of a culture and of a
life after the first genocide of this
century,” Meshejian added.
Semerciyan is a graduate of the
University of Michigan. Her plays
include Playthings, Filibuster, and
Down the Packhorse. Reality, a musical
for which she wrote the book
and lyrics, premiered in the United
Kingdom at Bristol’s Olympus Theater.
In 2007, she made the long list
for the King’s Cross New Writing
Award. She currently teaches singing
and drama in South West England.
Originally from St. Joseph, Mich.,
Semerciyan is returning to the
States after ten years of living in
the United Kingdom. It is this opportunity
to develop her play that
is bringing her back.
In describing how the organization
works, Meshejian explained
that when PlayPenn invites and
playwright to develop a play at its
summer conference, it is making a
commitment to the artist that involves
substantial resources including,
but not limited to, travel, housing,
per diem and a stipend for the
writer, a director of the playwright’s
choice who receives similar support
– as does a dramaturge – trips to
Philadelphia to cast the play from
the professional acting community
here, actor salaries and space and
time to do the work involved with
helping the playwrights find clarity
and focus for their work.
Since its inception, 60 percent of
the plays that have been developed
during PlayPenn’s summer conferences
have gone on to be produced
at major theaters around the United
States and in the U.K.
These workshops are costly,
Meshejian explained, requiring
Graduate fellowships in Armenian studies available at Ann Arbor
Applications can also be obtained
from Ardemis Jerikian, at (703) 242-
1755; Melanie Kerneklian, at (804)
784-4002; or Bedros Bandazian at
(804) 741-8107.
Applications must be submitted
prior to March 31, 2009, and
final determination by the selection
committee for recipients of
grant(s) will be made prior to June
1, 2009.
Lara Mary Sardarbegians, one of
the recipients of this year’s Virginia
D. Bandazian Scholarship. The other
recipients of $1,000 awards were
Sossy Tatarian, Tamar Sivaslian, and
Tania A. Zurnacian.
a minimum of $10,000 for each
of the plays that make their way
through the process. And, because
there is only a single public reading
of the play at the end of the process,
there is no opportunity for earned
income, making the organization
dependent on contributed income.
For the first time, PlayPenn is
seeking support in the form of
sponsorships for each of the six
projects being developed. Majordonor
sponsorship will guarantee
recognition as the “Workshop
Sponsor” in all printed publicity
materials, as well as an invitation
to a reception for all conference
artists, in mid-July.
A 501(c)3 charity, PlayPenn is
supported by tax-free donations.
Armenians who wish to support
the Semerciyan workshop, should
send their checks to PlayPenn, 220
West Evergreen Avenue, suite D-2,
Philadelphia, Pa. 19118, indicating
that it is for her workshop.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Armenian
Studies Program at the
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,
is pleased to announce the availability
of two-year full fellowships
in Armenian studies, beginning in
the academic year 2009-2010, for
students admitted in the Ph.D. programs
in the departments listed
below:
Department of History (application
deadline: December 1, 2008),
Department of Near Eastern Studies
(deadline: December 14, 2008),
St. Gregory of Datev Institute meets
ELVERSON, Pa. – Seventy-five
students, ages 13 to 18, from 10
parishes, convened for the 22nd annual
“St. Gregory of Datev Institute,”
sponsored by the Eastern Prelacy of
the Armenian Apostolic Church.
The gathering at the St. Mary
of Providence Center in Elverson,
under the direction of Prelacy
vicar Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian,
and led by seven clergymen,
ran from June 27 to July 6.
Sponsored by the Armenian Religious
Education Council (arec),
the summer program offers youth
the chance to learn the essentials of
Armenian Christianity in a wholesome
and nurturing environment.
Each day of the program includes
a morning service, four classroom
sessions, and afternoons featuring
recreational activities like volleyball,
soccer, basketball, and swimming.
In the evenings, a general lecture
is followed by three concurrent
bible studies. Each day comes to a
close with the Husgoom service.
The instructors of the institute
this year included Bishop Tanielian,
Fr. Khoren Habeshian, Fr.
Antranig Baljian, Fr. Nerses Manoogian,
Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian,
Fr. Stephan Baljian, Dn. Shant
Kazanjian, Nayiri Baljian, Denise
Borekjian, and Jeanette Nazarian.
In addition to the regular faculty,
the institute welcomed four guest
speakers: Fr. Paul Tarazi, Rev. Kenneth
E. Bailey, Dr. Vahan Kouyoumdjian,
and Dr. Tom Samuelian.
The summer program came to
an end on July 6 with the Divine
Liturgy celebrated by Fr. Baljian,
at the St. Gregory the Illuminator
Church in Philadelphia. Bishop Tanielian
delivered the sermon. Also
in the service was a “Blessing of
Water” service employing the newly
consecrated myron from a June
ceremony Antelias, Lebanon.
After the liturgy, students who
had completed the multi-year Datev
Institute program were recognized
as graduates.
Department of Sociology (deadline:
December 15, 2008), Department
of Anthropology (deadline: January
2, 2009), and Department of
Political Science (deadline: December
15, 2008).
The fellowships are also available
for students admitted in the Masters
program of either of the following
centers:
The Center for Middle Eastern
and North African Studies (cmenas)
(January 15, 2009), and the
Center for Russian and East European
Studies (crees) (February 1,
2009).
Candidates must first apply to
and be accepted in any of the departments
or centers listed above.
Applications for graduate studies
for all above departments and centers
at the University of Michigan
are submitted through the Horace
H. Rackham School of Graduate
Studies. They must be submitted
online at the website of Rackham
Graduate School (www.rackham.
umich.edu).
Nominations of students whose
interests fall within the purview
of Armenian studies for the Manoogian
Simone Foundation fellowships
are made by the relevant
departments and centers. The final
selection of Manoogian Simone
Foundation Graduate Fellows will
be made by the Armenian Studies
Program executive committee, on
the recommendation of these departments
and centers.
These fellowships have been
made possible by a generous gift
Let us know what’s on your mind.
Write to us at
letters@reporter.am
The Fuller Center for Housing
launches Global Builders program
in Armenia
Be part of a two-week Global Builders team and build homes with Armenian families in need
from the Manoogian Simone Foundation.
The thrust of the research
interests of candidates for these
graduate fellowships must be in
Armenian studies.
Questions regarding applications
should be addressed to the
above departments and centers.
Questions regarding Manoogian
Simone Foundation fellowships
can be addressed to Gloria Caudill
at telephone (734) 763-0622,
or via e-mail at gcaudill@umich.
edu.
Team dates for summer/fall 2008:
August 2 to 15 - Yeghegnadzor, southern Armenia
October 5 to 19 - Vanadzor, northern Armenia
Approximately $1600 - $1870 not including airfare
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