National, International, Armenia, and Community News and Opinion

14 The Armenian Reporter | November 8, 2008CommunityRacine’s Saint Mesrob Church hosts Old Testament seminarRACINE, Wisc. – At a 6-hourseminar that made learning Biblehistory “truly and incredibly fun,”135 adults, children, and youngpeople recited, gesticulated, andemoted their way through thestories of the Old Testament, theEastern Diocese of the ArmenianChurch reports.St. Mesrob Armenian Churchhosted the “Walk Thru the OldTestament” Seminar on October18 with the leadership of its pastor,Rev. Fr. Yeprem Kelegian. Sponsoredby the Department of Youthand Education of the Diocese andpresented by the Walk Thru theBible Ministries, the seminar wasintended not only to teach Biblebasics but also to rekindle participants’desire to read the Bible andpray daily.“I believe so deeply in the purposeof this ministry – to get peoplereading Scripture and allowing itto inform their lives – absolutelyessential,” exclaimed pastor MelSvendsen of nearby Lake Zurich,Ill., an instructor for Walk ThruSeminars for over 20 years. EliseAntreassian, coordinator ofChristian Education of the Diocese,introduced the program tothe packed house as a means of doing“what the Church needs to doand what we don’t do often enough– focus on Scripture. And since thesalvation story doesn’t begin withthe manger but at the beginning oftime, we Armenians need to learnthe Old Testament!”Many participants came skeptically,not sure if they would stayfor the day. But with everyonequickly abandoning their schooldeskpostures and getting up to“do the walk” through alternatingrounds of storytelling by Mr.Svendsen and acting out memorywords and phrases, the crowdwarmed up and stayed. “This wasa breath of fresh air, totally funand informative,” said St. MesrobSunday School co-superintendentMarj Korakian.“This is such a welcome program,”said Julie Der Garabedian, avisitor from St. Hagop ArmenianChurch in Racine. “I’m so pleasedto see the Armenian Church doingsomething like this.” AddedMeline Grigorian of Racine: “Thepresenter’s style of storytelling andentertainment kept everyone enthralled;all of us, ages 7 to 85, wereinterested and participating!”During the seminar, participantslearned the main events and peopleof the Old Testament as relatedthrough its 42 books (including theDeuterocanonical works acceptedby the Orthodox Church): Creation,the Fall, Noah, Abraham, thevarious families of the patriarchs,Moses and the Exodus, the Judges,the Kings and the Prophets, endingwith the Jewish Exile, the Return,and the years of silence before thecoming of Christ. This included importantthemes, special meanings,and major geographical movements.Mr. Svendsen was unanimouslydeemed “dynamic.” Participantsused hand motions, catch phrases,and group review to understandthe Old Testament in this unusualway. Children with their own ageappropriateactivity books workeddiligently away, shouting out thecatch phrases (“Let my people go”was a particular favorite). Occasionalplayground breaks kept themin high gear to the last minute (andthey proved their attentiveness byreenacting what they learned thenext day at Sunday School). Affirmedparishioner Elsie Garoukian:“God bless Instructor Mel and‘Walk Thru.’ Now when I read theOld Testament, I will feel like I amnot stumbling through it. I lookforward to start re-reading it withmore understanding.”Clergy and parishioners camefrom far and wide: a few cars fullfrom Sts. Joachim and Anne ArmenianChurch of Palos Heights, Ill.(Fr. Tavit and Yeretzgin TirouheBoyajian with family in tow);Deacon-in-Charge Levon Kirakosyan,Fr. Paren Galstyan, andParish Council Chair Debbie DerAsadourian (whose mother Marywas asked to stand and majesticallyrepresent the ancient city of Ur)brought a number from St. James,Evanston, Ill. There were eagerlearners as well from St. GregoryChurch in Chicago, Ill.; St. John,Greenfield, Wisc.; Holy Resurrection,South Milwaukee, Wisc.; andSt. Hagop, Racine.All were grateful to the pastorand parishioners of St. Mesrob whoworked so hard to make the day asuccess. Fr. Kelegian was emailingand telephoning up to the day heand Yeretzgin left for a long-scheduledtrip to Armenia (returning thenight before the seminar); parishadministrator Dan Korakian coordinatedthe room arrangementsand audiovisual setup, efficientlyattending to every detail. Parishionersunderwrote some of the costsand cut up sandwiches, preparedcoffee, and set out the cookies andjuice. Parish Council Chair JosephGabrielian emphatically declaredthat “we’ve got to follow this upnext year with a seminar on theNew Testament.”Gratitude was expressed as wellto the Primate, Archbishop KhajagBarsamian, and the Departmentof Youth and Education of the Diocesefor offering this otherwisecostly program free of charge.The Diocese reports that Fr. Kelegianspoke for everyone’s high spiritswhen he closed the day, saying,“We depart now, but we depart witha mission to yearn to know moreabout the Lord and His Word, toshare our faith and love for theLord with others and, thus, tomake the Armenian Church a morevibrant part of everyone’s life.” Grikor Mirzaian Suni’s music to be showcased in Ann ArborANN ARBOR, Mich. – Theworks of Grikor Mirzaian Suni(1876–1939), a founder of modernArmenian music, will be showcasedin a concert at the Ann Arbor DistrictLibrary, 343 S. Fifth Ave atWilliam St., at 7 p.m. on January2, 2009.Born east of Lake Sevan in Getabekvillage, the composer was raisedin the eastern reaches of HistoricArmenia, in Shushi (Karabakh).Suni’s music is beautiful, soulful,lively classical art music based inArmenian folk music of his owncollecting, and includes vocal solosand duets, four-part choral works,orchestral suites, and instrumentalpieces. His music is unique, and atthe same time “Armenian,” and likethe music of Bach is polyphonic,contrapuntal, and versatile, wonderfulon any instrument.From a long line of ashough singers,Mirzaian (Suni) worked withall the Armenian masters of histime, a close associate of Komitas(Gomidas) in Etchmiadzin. Atthe Saint Petersburg Conservatoryof Music in the Russian capital,Mirzaian Suni studied compositionwith Rimsky-Korsakov. Graduatingfrom the conservatory, he resumedcollecting songs of Armenians duringhis wide travels in the Caucasus,Anatolia, Egypt, Mesopotamia,Iran, and India.A world war, revolution, and theGenocide caused Suni to flee to theUnited States in 1923, where he firstconducted church choirs, then Armenianfolk choruses, soloists, andorchestras, in New York, Boston,Chicago, Detroit, and Philadelphia(where he settled in 1925), and supportedArmenia from afar. Whenhe criticized Stalin in 1937, his musicwas banned in Armenia – whichis why his name is not as knownnow as it was earlier.Suni’s son Gourgen (George)Suny (born 1910 in Erzurum, died1985 Philadelphia) picked up hisfather’s baton in 1939 in Philadelphia,conducting Suni Choruseswith orchestra, sometimes as songand dance ensemble concerts, tocarry on presenting this treasuredArmenian cultural musical heritage.Continuing in sharing this musicare his granddaughters and daughter-in-law.The performers in this concertare two great granddaughters ofthe composer Grikor Mirzaian Suni,and their mother.Sevan Siranoush Suni (b. 1982)and Anoush Tamar Suni (b. 1987),violinist sisters, have been since1998 performing, separately andtogether, Armenian music of theirgreat grandfather. Sevan began violinstudies and classical violin performancesat age 4, and Anoush atage 2. Anoush also plays oud, andsings with her oud, sometimes inMiddle Eastern music ensembles.She has studied with oud mastersTufts gives final salute to John K. Baronianin Yemen and in Egypt, and hopesto study in Armenia next year. Sevanplays in the Stanford UniversitySymphony Orchestra, and occasionallyin a rock band. In spring2009 Sevan will complete her Ph.D.in population genetics, ecology,and evolution at Stanford; Anoushwill complete her B.A. in MiddleEastern studies at Pomona College.Armena Marderosian (Suny),pianist wife of Grikor Suni’s grandson,University of Michigan ProfessorRonald Grigor Suny, studiedpiano at the Oberlin Conservatoryof Music (Ohio) and SuzukiMethod in Japan, and is a teachertrainer of Suzuki Piano method.Ms. Marderosian heard the beautifulmusic of Grikor Mirzaian Suni,and learned that in 1924 her ownmother, Vanouhi Kazanjian, atage 16 had sung in the Suni Chorusin Boston.To make recordings of thisunique and wonderful music, Ms.Marderosian started the SuniProject: Music Preservation, arecognized nonprofit. With thehelp of the AGBU, the MichiganCouncil for the Arts and CulturalAffairs, and other donors, the firstCD was produced in 1997, “ArmenianSongs of Grikor MirzaianSuni (1876–1939): Vocal Solosand Duets” with singers MaroPartamian, Elisabeth Pehlivanian,Henrik Mihranian, andSuni’s own son Gourgen (George)Suny singing on his 84th birthday,9 months before his death, withpianist Armena Marderosian. TheSuni Project has two other CDs:remastered “Grikor Mirzaian Suni(1876–1939): Archival Concert Recordings”from Suni Chorus concerts1935, 1940, and 1971, and“Seda Suny 1986 Voice of AmericaInterview Recital.”connect:www.suniproject.orgby Tom VartabedianMEDFORD, Mass. – Six monthsafter his death, John K. Baronian isstill being remembered on the campusof Tufts University.Perhaps even more so.People walk each day around thetrack of the Baronian Athletic Complexwhere his name is suspendedfor all to behold.The football team is in the midstof a very successful season and onelineman will receive a distinguishedBaronian Award as its most valuableplayer.What’s more, a Baronian familyscholarship will be presented toa student of high academic rankwho personifies the examples setforth by the university and thebenefactor.Earlier this football season,Tufts ended a 21-year drought bydefeating Williams College in agame inspired by Mr. Baronian.At a team meeting, it was decidedto dedicate this game to Mr. Baronianand the players respondedwith exuberance.“We had a tailgate and gave thefootball team a pep talk,” saidAthletic Director William Gehling.“John was up above havinga debate with an angel. He wasthe invisible force that guided thisvictory (17–7) with his never-saydieattitude.”In a memorial tribute worthy ofa departed campus guru, Mr. Baronianwas befittingly eulogized bya host of students, administrators,colleagues and friends on Oct. 23inside the school’s Goddard Chapelwhere he was known to pray for hisfootball victories.On the day of his funeral thispast April, a motorcade wound upat the Baronian complex en routeto the cemetery. A Baronian cronycould be heard yelling, “Win thisone for John.” He may have beenreferring to the imminent Williamsgame.The celebration of Mr. Baronian’slife--that’s what they calledit--included appropriate messages,songs, a powerful video, and moresmiles than tears, just the way hewould have liked.Mr. Gehling recalled the time hewent on a recruiting mission andasked Mr. Baronian to accompanyhim. The three highly-regardedfootball prospects wound up at otherschools, much to Mr. Gehling’sdismay, though John Baronian hadbetter luck that day.He signed each of their parentsto an insurance policy as a topsalesman for American Mutual.There were stories about hismassive elephant collection beingturned over to the university tomanifest the “Jumbo” nickname,tales of his daily courtships atTufts, even the honorary doctoratehe received in 1997, the culminationof 60 years service with theinstitution.Chances are, if you didn’t get afootball ticket from Mr. Baronian,he gave you an elephant pin. It washis way of performing an ambassadorshiprole.“Believing that his college educationgave him a leg up on lifefrom his humble origins as theson of Armenian refugee parents,John was always willing to helpdeserving students in their endeavors,regardless of their backgrounds,”said President LawrenceS. Bacow.“If there were a more loyal, passionateand committed Tuftsalumnus than John Baronian, Ihave yet to meet him,” Mr. Bacowadded. “I never attended a footballgame without seeing John,rain or shine. He attended everyTufts event. Students especiallyloved him. He was always reachingout to them. There might be 4,000colleges and institutions in theUnited States, but in John’s mind,there was only one. As much as heloved this university, Tufts lovedhim back.”One of the last wedding invitationshe received was from AlyssaSerian, a New Hampshire studentwho was among the hundreds Mr.Baronian had assisted and counseledin the Armenian Club. Shemay not have met her Armenianhusband had it not been for thisCupid.“John advocated students of Armeniandescent over the last halfcentury,” said President EmeritusJohn DiBiaggio. “He felt thatevery Armenian who applied toTufts should have been admitted.Consequently, those who were acceptedturned into good students.I wish we could have accommodatedeach and every Armenianwho applied.”News of an alumni lifetimeachievement award being made inMr. Baronian’s name only complementedwhat’s already out there.Soprano Dana Maren Maelzner,an opera major, presented a musicalinterlude, including a stirringversion of the Gomidas Vartabedsong, “Groung.” An original compositiontitled “Baroniana” was debutedby Associate Professor JohnMcDonald.A video documented Mr. Baronian’slife, from his early days asthe son of genocide survivors,Hovannes and Margaret Baronian,straight through to his footballplayingdays at Tufts and finally hiswork as president of the AlumniAssociation and the Gridiron Clubof Greater Boston, which he alsochaired.The evening ended on a ratheremotional note as attendees leftthe chapel to a gauntlet of 300student-athletes each holdingcandles which glowed in the darkness.A reception capped the evening.