The California
Courier Online, May 17, 2018
1- Commentary
American
Lawyers Sue Turkey
For
Hundreds of Millions of Dollars
By Harut
Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- Nikol Pashinyan Elected Prime Minister of Armenia
3 – Pashinyan,
Artsakh Leaders Mark Shushi Liberation
4 – Former California Governor George Deukmejian
Dies at 89
5 – Catholicos Karekin II Confirms New Diocesan
Primate
6 – Commentary: Hello, New Armenia. Goodbye, Old Friend.
By Rostom
Sarkissian
7- Trinity
College Student Awarded
$10,000 Project for Peace Grant
8- St.
Stephen’s Student Vartan Arakelian
Wins
Kangaroo International Math Competition
******************************************
1 – Commentary
American
Lawyers Sue Turkey
For
Hundreds of Millions of Dollars
By Harut
Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
On May 16, 2017, during Turkish Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s
visit with Pres. Donald Trump in the White House, Erdogan’s bodyguards,
unprovoked viciously attacked Kurdish and Armenian protesters who had gathered
outside the residence of Turkey’s
Ambassador in Washington, D.C. Nine demonstrators were seriously
injured!
According to the Washingtonian, “at a news conference on
June 14, D.C. police chief Peter Newsham said that ‘rarely have I seen in my 28
years of policing the type of thing I saw in Sheridan Circle.’ The House of
Representatives approved a resolution, 397–0, calling ‘for perpetrators to be
brought to justice and measures to be taken to prevent similar incidents in the
future.’”
Last July, a federal grand jury charged with assault 19
members of Erdogan’s bodyguards, most of whom had diplomatic immunity. As a
result, they could not be arrested and were allowed to fly back to Turkey. Two
Turkish-Americans were arrested and later sentenced to a year and a day in
jail. Several months after this incident, the charges against most of Erdogan’s
bodyguards were dropped on the eve of U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s
visit to Turkey.
Fortunately, a group of Washington,
D.C. lawyers was so outraged by the attacks
and escape of Erdogan’s bodyguards back to Turkey that they decided last week
to sue the Turkish government, two Turkish-Americans and three Turkish
Canadians for “violations of international law and hate crimes, as well as
assault, battery and false imprisonment.” On May 3, another American law firm
filed a separate lawsuit by five of the protesters against Turkey.
The Washingtonian
reported: “With the U.S.
government unable or unwilling to obtain justice for the Sheridan Circle victims, a group of DC
lawyers set out to do so themselves. Douglas Bregman had little inkling of the
riot, let alone what had provoked it. But what he saw on the news that night
horrified him: ‘This guy [Erdogan] gets to come to our country, speak to the
President at the White House, then send his thugs to bloody up American
citizens just for speaking out?’”
The Washingtonian added: “Bregman, 68, runs a civil-practice
law firm in Bethesda.
Originally from suburban Philadelphia, he got a
law degree from Georgetown
University in the 1970s
and put down roots. He lectures there and at Columbia University
law school. Having participated in protests during the 1960s, he sees a need to
defend freedom of speech from threats ‘like abuse of power,’ he says. Bregman
phoned one of his associates, Andreas Akaras, a litigator at Bregman, Berbert,
Schwartz and Gilday. ‘Did you see what happened today at Sheridan Circle?’ he asked. Akaras had
joined Bregman’s firm after seven years as an aide to Maryland congressman John Sarbanes. He’d
worked on a range of issues related to southeastern Europe and the
Mediterranean and developed contacts in Turkey,
Greece, Cyprus, and Israel. Bregman asked him to
investigate whether any legal restitution was available to the victims.”
Bregman then contacted fellow longtime DC attorney Steve
Perles. “I have this case that will rely on the Foreign Sovereign Immunities
Act [FSIA],” Bregman said. “You’re the guy who can do it.” Perles has a long
experience successfully suing Germany
for Holocaust reparations and Iran
and Libya
to pay for damages for “terrorist acts.”
The Washingtonian reported: “working with Bregman and
Akaras, Perles is preparing to file suit for hundreds of millions in damages
from the Republic
of Turkey. ‘Any foreign
head of state who unleashes his security force against US citizens exercising
their lawful rights on US soil has no protection under FSIA,’ Perles says.
Other lawyers agree. A team headed by Agnieszka Fryszman of Cohen Milstein
filed a victim-impact statement representing 13 victims of the Sheridan Circle
attack, including Murat Yasa and Heewa Arya. The legal team has added Michael
Tigar, who successfully sued the government of Chile for assassinating Orlando
Letelier with a car bomb at Sheridan
Circle in 1976.… Tigar says students at American University
law school are putting together the case against Turkey. He’s confident in its
strength. ‘It took 16 years, but we got to get $4 million from Chile,’ he
says.”
Bregman told the Washingtonian: “Somebody needs to be
punished. We are willing to put in the time and resources to push back against
a fascist government so our clients are vindicated. It is well worth the effort.”
The Washington Post concluded: “under U.S. law, the
Turkish government may fight, settle or refuse to defend against the lawsuits.
In a refusal, a judge could enter a default judgment for the protesters.”
**************************************************************************************************
2- Nikol
Pashinyan Elected Prime Minister of Armenia
YEREVAN (Combined
Sources)—Earlier today, Armenia’s
National Assembly elected Nikol Pashinyan as the country’s prime minister.
Fifty-nine votes were cast in favor of Pashinyan, while 42
Members of Parliament voted against him. Three parliamentary factions—the Yelk
alliance, Tsarukyan faction, and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(ARF)—supported Pashinyan’s candidacy. The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA),
which has a majority in Armenia’s National Assembly, announced ahead of the
vote that—despite the fact that the party is against Pashinyan’s candidacy—10
plus one of its members would vote for him and allow for him to get elected, in
order “stabilize” the situation in the country.
Speaker of the National Assembly Ara Babloyan opened the
parliamentary session by recognizing that May 8 was the 26th anniversary of the
beginning of the liberation of Shushi. Pashinyan—the sole candidate for PM—was
then introduced by fellow Yelk alliance member Lena Nazaryan, who presented
Pashinyan’s biography.
Pashinyan then took to the podium and addressed the members
of the National Assembly, the tens of thousands of citizens gathered at Yerevan’s Republic
Square, and those following along across the country and throughout the
Armenian Diaspora. He congratulated the people on the anniversary of Shushi’s
liberation and highlighted the fact that the vote was taking place on the same
day as the historically significant event.
Throughout his address, Pashinyan promised to implement
“very serious reforms” to democratize the country and reaffirmed his pledge to
hold fresh elections, which he said will not be fraught with widespread fraud
and bribery like elections in the past. He also pledged that his government
would conduct a review of the electoral code.
Pashinyan then promised to continue the peaceful
negotiations for the resolution of the Artsakh conflict and stressed that it is
vital for Artsakh to become an active part of the peace process and join the
negotiation “as indicated by a decision of the [Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe] OSCE Minsk Group
leaders.” He then promised to continue Armenia’s
efforts in regards to international recognition of the Armenian Genocide and to
allow Armenia
to become a leader in ensuring that similar crimes are prevented throughout the
world.
Pashinyan’s government, according to the new PM, will also
work to advance women’s rights in Armenia and work to engage more
women in government. He also stressed the importance of the Armenian Diaspora
and the significant role it must have in Armenia’s future.
Pashinyan’s election on May 8 came exactly a week after the
National Assembly failed to elect him as PM on May 1.
Immediately following his election, Pashinyan took the
podium once again and proclaimed, “I will serve the people of Armenia and the Republic of Armenia.”
Pashinyan did not provide any details regarding the composition of his cabinet.
Speaking to reporters on his out of the National Assembly chamber, Pashinyan
noted that his ministers will be chosen as a result of discussions and
consultations with his colleagues and other political groups.
“My election isn’t the victory here,” Pashinyan said at
Republic Square following the vote. “The fact that you—the citizens of Armenia—decided
who will be your Prime Minister is the real victory today.” In his address, he
reiterated his pledge to serve the Armenian people, the Armenian nation, and
the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh.
“Congratulations to Nikol Pashinyan, the new Prime Minister
of Armenia,”
the message reads. “After a turbulent period of mass protests and political
upheaval, Armenia
has emerged with a new government and new hopes for the future. While Armenia continues to face many threats and
challenges, this peaceful revolution gives Armenia the opportunity to tap the
full talents of its people and chart a promising new course. I will continue
doing everything I can in Congress to help Armenia succeed in its remarkable
reformation,” said Congressman Adam Schiff in a statement.
“The Armenian General Benevolent Union congratulates Nikol
Pashinyan on his momentous election as prime minister of the Republic of Armenia.
He has come to office against a backdrop of renewed hope and inspired vision
among the people, marked by a vibrancy in the civic life of the country. The
potential for constructive change, national unity and a new era of prosperity
is palpable as Armenia
turns the page to a new chapter in governance,” said the organization in a
statement.
“Armenia’s peaceful,
constitutional, domestically-driven political transition—through today’s
election of Nikol Pashinyan as Armenia’s Prime Minister—has been welcomed
across the Washington, DC foreign policy community. It has raised Armenia’s profile among U.S.
policymakers as an independent, reliable, and democratic partner in advancing
shared regional and international priorities,” said Armenian National Committee
of America executive director Aram Hamparian.
“I would like to congratulate Nikol Pashinyan on his
election as the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia.
This wasn’t just an ordinary election; it was a public and national victory.
For the first time in its history, the Third Republic of Armenia earned a leader
who represents the people, and earned the opportunity to begin carving a truly
democratic country. I believe in Nikol Pashinyan, and as one representative of
the Diaspora, I call on my colleagues and fellow entrepreneurs to come to Armenia and
join in helping our homeland truly prosper. My participation in that enterprise
will be more encompassing and on a deeper level than ever,” said Children of
Armenia Fund founder Garo Armen. ***************************************************************************************************
3 – Pashinyan,
Artsakh Leaders Mark Shushi Liberation
STEPANAKERT—Armenia’s
newly elected Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on May 9 paid his first working
visit to the Republic
of Artsakh, where he
participated in the events dedicated to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War,
the formation of the Artsakh Defense Army and the Liberation of Shushi.
On May 8, Pashinyan and Artsakh President Bako Sahakian,
accompanied by high-ranking officials from Armenia and Artsakh, marched from Renaissance
Square in Stepanakert to the Stepanakert Memorial, where they laid flowers and
wreaths at the memorial of freedom-fighters and soldiers killed during the
Great Patriotic War and the liberation of Shushi.
The Prime Minister then visited the cemetery where freedom
fighters killed in the Artsakh War are interred, laid flowers at their tombs
and paid tribute to martyred freedom fighters. Later on, the high-ranking
officials of the two republics laid flowers at the Shushi Tank
Monument, Sparapet Vazgen
Sargsyan’s and Nelson Stepanyan’s statues, honoring their memory.
Pashinyan and Sahakian then attended at the opening of the Armenian Dram
Museum in Shushi, which was
established with the technical and professional assistance of the Central Bank
of Armenia.
They visited the museum and got acquainted with the exhibits.
The museum features coins and notes from the ancient Armenian Tsopk
Kingdom, Tigran the Great, Artavazd
II, Artashes II, Cilician Armenia, Russian Empire and USSR, and all the editions of the Armenian Republic.
The museum has a special place dedicated to Artsakh, the
coins minted in Tigranakert, silver coins minted in Shushi in the 19th century,
contemporary souvenir banknotes and coins, as well as commemorative coins
issued by the Central Bank of Armenia.
*********************************************************************************************
4 – Former California Governor George Deukmejian
Dies at 89
(Combined Sources)—George Deukmejian, a two-term California
governor who was admired by Republicans and Democrats alike for his willingness
to cross party boundaries, and who quietly shepherded the state through a
period of rapid growth and sustained prosperity, died on May 9 at his home in
Long Beach, Calif. He was 89.
As governor, Deukmejian appointed more than 1,000 judges,
many of whom are still serving in California’s
courts.
In the 1982 race for governor, he defeated the mayor of Los Angeles, Tom Bradley,
by about 90,000 votes out of nearly eight million cast, a victory so narrow that
some news reports prematurely pronounced Bradley the winner.
When Deukmejian took office in 1983, a recession had caused
unemployment in California
to jump to 11.2 percent and eaten away at the state’s coffers. Billions of
dollars had been used to shore up local governments after the adoption of
Proposition 13, the 1978 voter initiative that radically cut property taxes.
Instead of raising taxes, Deukmejian pared spending and
balanced the budget. “Our fiscal policy was to do everything we could to live within
our means,” he said in 2012.
In 1986, Deukmejian, the son of Armenian immigrants,
surprised some conservative colleagues when he took a public stand against the University of California’s
investments in South Africa
during apartheid.
In a 2005 memoir, David Gardner, who was president of California’s university
system in the 1980s, wrote of the governor’s stand on apartheid, “All of this
killing and violence, directed mostly against blacks, reminded Deukmejian of
the Turkish massacres of Armenians in World War I.”
Recalling the episode in 2012, Deukmejian said, “My feeling
was, there but for the grace of God go I.”
Gardner had strongly opposed
divestment, but at the governor’s urging, the state pulled some $3 billion in
stock holdings out of South
Africa. During a visit to California
after his release from prison, Nelson Mandela said the action by the University of California—the
first large public institution to take a stand—played a critical role in ending
white minority rule in South
Africa.
Deukmejian won a second term in 1986, again defeating
Bradley, this time with 60 percent of the vote.
In 1988, Deukmejian was approached by an official for Vice
President George Bush’s presidential campaign, telling him he was being
considered as a potential running mate.
“I was apparently on a so-called short list,” he said in
2012. But he declined to be considered any further.
“I said, ‘Well, I have a lieutenant governor in the other
party, and if I were to join the ticket, the whole executive branch of the California government
would go over to the Democrats,’” he said. “They already had control of the
legislature. I couldn’t do something like that for my own benefit. So I took
myself out of contention.”
A staunch fiscal conservative, Deukmejian was a consistent opponent
of new taxes and government spending increases, to the point where his
Republican colleagues in the legislature nicknamed him “The Iron Duke” for
repeated vows to veto spending bills.
He later took credit for eliminating a $1.5 billion deficit,
telling lawmakers in a State of the State address that he had “taken California from I-O-U to
A-O.K.” But by the time he left office, having chosen not to seek a third term
in 1990, tax receipts had slumped under the weight of a national economic
slowdown, and his successor, Pete Wilson, a fellow Republican, entered the
governor’s mansion facing a deep budget deficit.
Courken George Deukmejian Jr. was born on June 6, 1928, in Menands, N.Y., north of Albany. His parents had
emigrated from eastern Turkey
in the early 1900s. His father worked in a series of jobs—as a photographer,
Oriental rug dealer and paper wholesaler. His mother worked in a necktie
factory.
Deukmejian attended Siena
College in Albany County,
graduating in 1949 with a bachelor of arts in sociology. He received a law
degree in 1952 from St. John’s University School
of Law in Queens.
He entered the Army in 1953, and after infantry basic
training was assigned to the Judge Advocate General’s Corps based in Paris, where he assisted
in the settlement of claims made by French nationals against the Army.
In 1955, at the urging of his sister, who had moved to California, he drove across the country and put down
roots in Los Angeles, where he was appointed a
deputy counsel for Los Angeles
County.
In 1957, he married Gloria Saatjian, a bank secretary, and
the couple moved to Long Beach,
where Deukmejian opened a small law practice on the second floor of a bank
building, specializing in “anything that walked in the door,” he once told an
interviewer.
Deukmejian entered politics in 1962, when he won a seat in
the California Assembly; four years later he was elected to the State Senate.
While in the state legislature, and later as attorney general, he pushed hard
for the death penalty.
Deukmejian was known to be especially tough on crime. While
governor, he presided over the building of more than a dozen prisons.
After leaving office in 1991, he became a partner in the Los Angeles office of Sidley & Austin, commuting from
his house in Long Beach,
which he and his wife had lived in since 1960.
He is survived by his wife, Gloria; their children, Leslie,
George and Andrea; and six grandchildren.
“Today, we mourn the loss of George Deukmejian, our father,
and our mother’s loving husband of 61 years. Our father passed away at home
with his family by his side a few weeks short of his 90th birthday. The son of
Armenian immigrants, he lived a wonderful life. He was a fine, decent man of
integrity and character who was tremendously proud of his Armenian heritage. He
loved his family and his friends and was forever grateful to the many loyal
people who believed in him and served in his administrations. We miss him deeply. Our family will hold
private services and, at a date to be determined, a public memorial,” the
Deukmejian family said in a statement.
***************************************************************************************************
5 – Catholicos Karekin II Confirms New Diocesan
Primate
On Tuesday, May 8, His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme
Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, confirmed the election of the Very
Reverend Fr. Daniel Findikyan as the 12th Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the
Armenian Church of America.
Fr. Findikyan was elected as Primate on May 4, by the
delegates to the 116th Diocesan Assembly. The gathering of representative from
all the local parishes of the Eastern Diocese met from May 3 to 5 in Westchester County, New
York.
He succeeds Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, who earlier had
announced he would conclude his term as Primate after holding the office for 28
years and seven terms of office, making him the longest-serving Primate of the
Eastern Diocese.
“With this letter we approve your election as Primate, and
with prayers to God we ask that the Lord will support your zealous service, so
that the lofty responsibility entrusted to you may be productive, strengthening
the national and spiritual life of the Eastern Diocese, and bringing brightness
upon our Apostolic Holy Church,” said the Catholicos in his letter.
His Holiness’ official confirmation of the election result
paved the way for authority to be formally transferred from Archbishop
Barsamian to Fr. Findikyan.
This was accomplished via a short enthronement ceremony in
St. Vartan Cathedral on the afternoon of May 8. About a dozen clergymen,
including two of episcopal rank, took part in the service, which went forward
before a group of Diocesan staff members and guests from the surrounding
locale.
In the course of a procession of priests and deacons before
the cathedral altar, Archbishop Barsamian transferred the Primate’s sign of
office—a ceremonial walking stick known as the “asa”—into the hand of Fr.
Findikyan. The new Primate thereupon took his place on the Primate’s throne, as
the clergy approached him to kiss his hand and receive his blessing.
Officially representing Catholicos Karekin II at the
ceremony was Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisian, visiting the Eastern Diocese from
Holy Etchmiadzin. He read aloud the letter of the Catholicos of All Armenians,
and offered some gracious words of congratulations to the Diocese, its new
Primate, and Archbishop Barsamian.
As outgoing Primate, Archbishop Barsamian spoke gratefully
about his years of service, and expressed warm optimism for the ministry of his
successor. “With his intelligence, his spirituality, and his skill at
communication, Fr. Daniel will speak to and help broaden our appeal to the
younger generation, and draw all our people more deeply into the life of the
church,” he said.
He revealed that the silver-headed walking stick, or “asa,”
had originally belonged to the late Catholicos Karekin Hovsepian, who prior to
becoming Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia served as Diocesan Primate,
from 1939 to 1944. Archbishop Barsamian addressed the new Primate as a worthy
recipient of the late Catholicos Karekin Hovsepian’s staff.
In his first remarks following his confirmation as Primate,
Fr. Daniel Findikyan addressed the gathering in Armenian, recalling the honored
names of the previous primates of the Diocese. He thanked Archbishop Barsamian
and Archbishop Hovhannisian, and expressed brotherly affection for all the
clergy.
“It’s an almost unimaginable honor for me to stand before
you as Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America,” said
Fr. Findikyan. He said that he has taken up the role with some trepidation, but
mostly with hope and joy, adding that it was deeply humbling to receive the
staff previously held by some of the greatest Armenian churchmen of the 20th
and 21st centuries.
Addressing himself to the broad body of clergy and faithful
throughout the Eastern Diocese, he said: “I take great strength from the
thought that by your faith and strength, the Lord will guide us all.”
*****************************************************************************************************
6 – Commentary:
Hello, New Armenia.
Goodbye, Old Friend.
By Rostom
Sarkissian
On May 8, the yin and yang of the universe brought us a new
Armenian politics, and took an old American-Armenian politician.
On May 8, Parliament voted for Nikol Pashinyan to be Armenia’s next
Prime Minister. It was a major victory for those protesting the corrupted
system in Armenia.
As with the May 1 vote though, the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) once again
maintained their unified opposition to Pashinyan, while “allowing” 11 of their
MPs to vote for him as a means of averting a full blown constitutional crisis
in Armenia
and the ensuing snap election which would have completely swept them out of
power. This should serve as a wake-up call that while parliament has a new
head; the corrupt and rotting body politic of Armenia will be harder to
dismember.
On the flip side of coin, an LA Times obituary piece by
George Skelton extolled former Governor George Deukmejian’s tenure by focusing
on his honesty, integrity, transparency, humility and steadfast leadership.
Deukmejian was a leader who was driven by his moral compass, which allowed him
to work with the opposing party on issues that were important to Californians,
even if they went against his party’s dogma. This is the type of brave
leadership that we need today, both in America
and in Armenia.
The timing of these two events was coincidental, but we
should take meaning from their synchronicity, and apply the lessons of
effective leadership to help rebuild a stronger, safer and more prosperous Armenia.
*************************************************************************************************
7- Trinity
College Student Awarded
$10,000 Project for Peace Grant
HARTFORD, Conn.—Trinity College student Mariam Avagyan ‘18, has
been awarded a Projects for Peace grant to implement her self-designed project
with the goal of promoting peace around the world. The grant awarded to Avagyan
is valued at $10,000. Avagyan’s project will offer a two-week robotics
programming summer camp for middle school students in Armenia.
In the its 12th year, the Projects for Peace program is an
invitation to undergraduates at the American colleges and universities in the
Davis United World College Scholars Program to design grassroots projects that
they will implement during the summer of 2018. The projects judged to be the
most promising and feasible will be funded at $10,000 each. The objective is to
encourage and support today’s motivated youth to create and try out their own
ideas for building peace.
The initiative was inspired by the late Kathryn W. Davis, an
accomplished internationalist and philanthropist. Upon the occasion of her
100th birthday in February of 2007, Davis, mother of Shelby M.C. Davis who
funds the Davis UWC Scholars Program, chose to celebrate by committing $1
million for 100 Projects for Peace. Trinity students have received funding for
15 projects in the past 12 years.
Avagyan, who grew up in Armenia and is completing a double
major in mathematics and engineering (electrical), first learned about the
Projects for Peace grant opportunity through the Interdisciplinary Science
Program (ISP) during her first year at Trinity. While she has always had a
desire to make a positive impact on the world, it wasn’t until April 2016 that
Avagyan realized what she wanted to do. “On April 1, 2016, I woke up to tragic
news that Azerbaijan
had attacked the Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region [where 95 percent of the
population is Armenian], killing civilians and soldiers. Some of these soldiers
were my peers, friends, and classmates, and I felt terrible for not being there
for my country and nation during the difficult times,” she said.
Now that Avagyan had a clear idea of whom she wanted to
help, all she needed was an idea of how to actually promote peace in this
region, which came to her the summer before her senior year at Trinity. “I had
the opportunity to work with MIT, Learntribute LLC, and NASA to teach middle
school students how to program SPHERE satellites that are currently on the
International Space Station for research purposes,” she said. “The children had
the chance to participate in the Zero Robotics competition by NASA.”
Avagyan partnered with YES Armenia,
a non-governmental organization, to design this summer’s two-week robotics
programming camp in Armenia,
which became the focus of her project proposal. As Avagyan wrote in her
proposal, “We wish to give children hope for peace and a bright future through
education. As children are taught to stay away from machines, such as tanks,
drones and guns, people fear and detest engineering. We want to show how
engineering, instead of being used to create warfare, can be used to create
products that will help people lead a better life.” With the Davis Projects for
Peace grant, paired with a matching grant from World Vision, she hopes to make
a major impact with her project, ZeRoRo.
Avagyan said that Alison Draper, director of Trinity’s Interdisciplinary Science Center,
introduced her to the grant through the ISP seminar. Draper uses Projects for
Peace as a grant-writing assignment, as she said it is important for scientists
to have the experience of writing proposals. Draper is optimistic about
Avagyan’s project. “Mariam is an amazing student who has changed Trinity for
the better, and it is fantastic–but not surprising–to see her start to change
the world for the better,” Draper said. “She is someone who will exceed
anyone’s expectations and I have no doubt that her Project for Peace will be
enormously successful.”
************************************************************************************************
8- St.
Stephen’s Student Vartan Arakelian
Wins
Kangaroo International Math Competition
WATERTOWN, Mass.—St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School
(SSAES) announced on May 9 that fourth grader Vartan Arakelian ranked 1st
statewide and 1st nationwide in the March 2018 Math Kangaroo International
Competition.
“This is a great honor for Vartan, his family, and St.
Stephen’s Armenian
Elementary School. We are
very proud of his exceptional performance,” said Principal Houry Boyamian.
This is the fourth year that students from SSAES have
participated in this international math competition. Arakelian also performed
well in 2016 and 2017, placing in the 99th percentile both nationally and
statewide.
Math Kangaroo is an international competition that
originated in Australia
in 1980. The various participating countries work together each year to choose
the problems for the contest.
In 2017, more than 28,000 students participated nationwide
in the competition covering 12 levels, of which 4,748 were 4th graders. In Massachusetts, 626
students took the Level 4 exam in 2017, according to the official Math Kangaroo
website. The total number of participants for 2018 has not yet been published.
The top prize winners of the 2018 competition will participate in the Award
Ceremony on May 19, at Bridgewater
State University.
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