2004_03 Hye Sharzhoom Newspaper March 2004

              6
Hye Sharzhoom
March 2004
Fresno State Graduate Armen
Devejian Ordained in Etchmiadzin
Lto R: Bishop Vasken Mirzakhanian ordaining Deacon
Armen Devejian as the new Fr. Ktrich Devejian.
Staff Report
Fresno State alumnus Deacon
Armen Devejian was ordained a
priest in the Armenian Apostolic
church on Thursday, February 19,
becoming the first American-born
clergyman ever ordained in Holy
Etchmiadzin.
Deacon Armen Devejian had
firstvisited Armenia in 1990, while
a student at Fresno State, participating in an Armenian study tour
under the direction of Barlow Der
Mugrdechian of the Armenian
Studies Program.
For the past two and a half years
Deacon Armen has been living in
Armenia with his wife Paula, work
ing as Foreign Press Secretary for
the Holy See of Etchmiadzin. Deacon Armen's parents Michael and
Yeran Devejian and in-laws Bob
and Sara Der Matoian were in attendance at the moving and emotional service.
On February 19 the Armenian
Church commemorated the Feast
of Saint Vartan the Commander
and His Companions. A solemn
Divine Liturgy was celebrated in
theCathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin
with His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of
All Armenians, presiding. During
the Liturgy, two deacons were ordained into the Holy Orderof Priesthood by the celebrant, Hs Grace
Bishop Vasken Mrzakhanian, Pri
mate of the Armenian Diocese of
Georgia.
Before a large crowd of faithful
witnesses, His Grace placed his
right hand on the two young candidates, and consecrated their foreheads and right and left hands with
Holy Chrism (Muron), calling them
by theirnewnames. Deacon Armen
Devejian was named Father Ktrij
(the baptismal name of His Holiness Karekin II) and Deacon Vartan
Movsissian was named Father
Shahan.
Immediately following the ordination, His Holiness Karekin II,
bishops and all members of the
Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin,
ascended the bema and congratulated the newly ordained by kissing
their anointed foreheads and hands.
The worldwide Armenian
Church also celebrates the "naming day" of His Holiness Karekin II
on this feast day. During the Divine Liturgy, the faithful joined
with the class of clergy in offering
a special Pontifical Blessing service, wishing His Holiness a long,
productive reign and a healthy and
fruitful life.
Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian and Rev.
Fr. Shahan Movsissian will continue their service to the Armenian
Church in the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin, following their forty
days of seclusion.
INSURANCE From Page 1
menian Educational Foundation.
The final $2 million ofthe settlement was allocated for administrative fees to publicize the settlement
and to find the heirs.
Vartkes Yeghiayan of
Yeghiayan & Associates, who was
one of the co-
counsels in the
case, in an interview on
P R W E B
News wire said,
"I know that
this settlement
will not bring
back the life of
even one Armenian child.
But this settlement is important, because it
symbolizes our
resolve to
achieve justice
for our ancestors who were
massacred in
the Armenian Genocide."
"The settlement is fair under the
circumstances and payment is at a
higher rate than that of the Holocaust," said Brian Kabateck of
Kabateck & Garris, another co-
counsel in the case. "This settlement reignites discourse about the
Genocide and brings attention to
April 24," he added.
Kabateck, who is a grandson of
the late Fr. NersesOdianof St. Paul
Armenian Church in Fresno, was
especially recruited forthis case by
Yeghiayan because of his strong
background in lawsuits. He was
excited to take part in this case
because of his family's experience
Brian Kabateck
with     the     Genocide.      His
grandfather's family was completely wiped out by the Ottoman
Turks. His grandmother, who was
the only one in her family to escape
the Genocide, witnessed the Turks
massacring her family.
Mark
Kassabian of
Geragos and
Geragos, was
also optimistic
about the settlement. "I feel
great about the
settlement," he
said. "No
amount of
money will ever
compensate for
genocide. This
settlement is not
about genocide,
it is about insurance  policies,
and as far as insurance policies,
it is great"
Mark Geragos of Geragos and
Geragos, who was also involved in
this case and is a well-known attorney, was also supportive of the
settlement. "This settlement with
New York Life is an important first
step toward seeking financial recovery forthe losses resulting from
the Armenian Genocide," he said
in an interview with  PRWEB
Newswire.
However, not everyone is excited abouttheoutcomeofthesettie-
ment. Many people are disappointed, confused or will not comment about the setdement
The Armenian Assembly of
America Inc (AAA Inc), one of
America's largest and most well-
known Armenian-American
grassroots organizations, has not
expressed an opinion on the issue
and is closely reviewing the settie-
ment. Interestingly enough, the
Armenian Assembly is a strong
proponent for United States genocide recognition.
Another American-Armenian
grassroots organization left out of
the settlement is the Armenian
National Committee of America
(ANCA). "It's a Band-Aid on a
bullet wound," said Ardashes
Kassakhian, executive director of
the ANC Western Region offices,
in an interview with the Associated
Press.
California Courier publisher
Harut Sassounian, in a lengthy article published in the February 5,
2004 issue of the Courier, after
obtaining a copy ofthe settlement,
points outthesamequestion. "Many
Armenian American groups are
wondering why they have not been
included in the list of organizations
selected to receive $3 million."
Sy Sternberg, chairman and
chief executive of New York Life,
said in a press release, "When it
became clear that many of our Armenian policyholders perished in
the tragic events of 1915, New York
Life hired an Armenian lawyer in
the region to assist the heirs of
those who died, so as to promptly
pay claims. Time after time, the
company would waive normal
claims procedures and reinstate
lapsed Armenian policies in order
to pay the heirs."
"Records confirm that the company succeeded in paying benefits
in about a third of those Armenian
Hye Sharzhoom
From Page 1
years, providing stability for those
of us who aren't exactly fond of
change.      One   such   is   Hye
Sharzhoom,, which has withstood
the test of time... twenty-five years
to be exact
When Hye Sharzhoom began
publication in April 1979, Dr.
Dickran Kouymjian, director of the
Armenian Studies Program, and
since 1991 Haig and Isabel
Berberian Professor of Armenian
Studies, was the newspaper's advisor, and its first edition editors were
Mark Malkasian and Bill Erysian.
Now, twenty-five years later, which
is exactly one advisor and twenty-
seven editors later, the advisor is
professor Barlow Der Mugrdechian
and the editor is Sevag Tateosian.
John Jabagchourian
Though the advisor, the editor, and
the writers have changed over the
y e ars, Hye Sharzho om h as re m a i n e d
the same. Its ongoing mission to
provide accurate, timely information about Armenian people and
events at the local, national, and
global levels hasn't changed.
In December, I had the opportunity to interview Matthew Maroot
and John Jabagchourian, both of
whom were past editors of Hye
Sharzhoom. They reflected on Hye
Sharzhoom and its successful longevity. Maroot was a staff writer
for four semesters before becoming the newspaper's editor during
the Fall 1999 semester.
Jabagchourian was a staff writer
for two semesters before he became the newspaper's editor for
three semesters, from March 2000
through May 2001.
When asked about his favorite
part of the Hye Sharzhoom,
Jabagchourian explained that his
favorite portion was, and still is, the
varying opinion pieces. "The opinion pieces are what give the Hye
Sharzhoom its flavor, a voice for
Armenian students." Jabagchourian
went on to say that "These were the
pieces that made the readers think;
they were more than just a reporting of events." Conversely, when
asked the same question, Maroot
responded, "I look forward to coverage of what's going on with the
Armenian Studies Program. Hye
Sharzhoom serves as a vital link
between the Program, current and
former students, and the Armenian
community throughout the world."
Further along in the interview,
Marootexplained thatFresno State
students benefit from the Hye
£/wrz/i0ombecauseit"aIIows other
students not involved with the Armenian Studies Program to gain a
better insight into a program that
has had such a tremendous impact
on the campus and community as
well." Jabagchourian also discussed the newspaper's on-cam-
pus presence, saying, "Students in
general get an invitation to learn
more about the diversity of their
campus. The Hye Sharzhoom is a
piece of literature that represents
the history of Fresno and of the
important contributions the Armenian Studies Program and [its] students make to the university."
Both interviews ended with a
question regarding Hye
Sharzhoom's ability to maintain
reader interest, thereby maintaining both its reader base of 7,000
world-wide and its benefactor support over the years. To this question, Jabagchourian responded,
"Hye Sharzhoom is one of a kind;
no other Armenian student newspaper is what Hye Sharzhoom is.
The unique perspectives that the
students bring to Armenian news
and the goings-on of the Fresno
community provides readers and
benefactors with something other
Armenian newspapers do not."
Maroot mentioned "Hye
Sharzhoom serves as an important
link between the community and
the students as well... [It] continues to be one of the most important
publications available to the Armenian-American community, not
to mention to Armenians the world
over."
Matthew Maroot
Though the answers vary, the
underlying sentiment is uniform.
HyeSharzhoomhas been, and continues to be, an effective means of
Armenian political, social, and cultural information at the local, national, and global levels. It is a
welcomed source of information
within the Armenian community,
and it has benefited me personally,
as it has brought stability to my
ever-changing college experience.
My personal sentiment toward Hye
Sharzhoom is most clearly expressed in the words of Matthew
Maroot: "Best wishes for another
twenty-five years!"
policies. Our willingness today to
resolve policies that may remain
unpaid from that era shows that
New York Life adheres to the same
values of integrity and humanity
that guided us then," he added.
His comments, although somewhat reassuring to the Armenians,
fail to say one word, the same word
you or I will not find anywhere in
the settlement. That word is Genocide^. "Tragic events" is how New
York Life refers to the Genocide.
How can the attorneys approve a
settlement that does not include
the word Genocide in it?
If you can answer that question,
you are ahead of me.
I concede this setdement is not
about genocide, but about those
who lost their lives, lost it because
of the genocide, and for that word
not to be included anywhere in the
settlement is upsetting to many.