ASBAREZ ONLINE [10-15-2004]

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
10/15/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Lively Debate on Turks' EU entry 2) Federal, State, and Local Officials to Attend 2004 ANCA Banquet 3) Congressional Candidates Continue to Speak Out on Armenian Issues 4) AYF at European Socialist Forum 5) ANCA Mobilizes Grassroots in Arizona 6) Global Healing Sets its Sights on Gyumri 7) Rose and Alex Pilibos Ark Library: a case for books and libraries 8) gor--pronunciation: 'gOr, 'gor 9) Los Angeles Art Show Features Extensive Jansem Collection 10) THE POLITICS OF BASEBALL--IT'S DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN! 11) CALENDAR 1) Lively Debate on Turks' EU entry PARIS (BBC.com)--The French parliament held a debate on Turkey's entry into the European Union, which has become an increasingly divisive issue in France. The debate has left many deputies in the ruling party at odds with their leader, President Jacques Chirac. Chirac, who favors Turkish entry, approved a debate in order to head off mounting anger among conservative MPs as well as opposition lawmakers. Almost all the main parties in France are split on the issue. It was an impassioned and sometimes ill-tempered debate, and certainly one of the liveliest seen in the French National Assembly for some time. French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin opened it by saying that neither Turkey nor the EU was ready for Turkish membership now, though he said Turkey's desire for admission was legitimate. France is deeply divided over whether Turkey really belongs in Europe, geographically or culturally, and some MPs asked directly whether a union founded on Judaeo-Christian principles could or should accept such a large Muslim nation. Only the Green party is united in arguing unequivocally that Turkey must be welcomed in Europe, to show there is no anti-Muslim sentiment against it, and to anchor the country firmly with the West. Many others from both left and right suggested compromises, such as an associate form of membership or even a delay to the accession talks. According to the Turkish newspaper Zaman Daily, when asked whether or not recognition of the Armenian genocide could be a pre-condition, Foreign Minister Michael Barnier said that the subject is not among the Copenhagen Criteria. Zaman also reported there was division within the Socialist party, with some socialist deputies demanded recognition of the Armenian genocide as a pre-condition while some of the party's members supported Turkey's bid. President Chirac has promised a referendum on the issue in perhaps a decade's time, in the hope of separating the question of Turkey from next year's vote on the European Constitution. As one of the founding EU members, France cares deeply about its future. Already there is unease in the country that France is losing influence thanks to Europe's enlargement to the east. Many worry that expanding to include Turkey as well would spell an end to any hope of deepening EU co-operation to make Europe a superpower to rival the United States. Several French papers point out how the country's simmering opposition to Turkey joining the EU has left many MPs in the governing party at odds with President Jacques Chirac, who favors Turkey's inclusion. Describing the heated debate in parliament on the issue, Le Monde says this is "a time of deep disagreement" between Chirac and the parties which support him. Both Chirac's UMP and its ally the UDF are against Turkey joining the EU. For Le Figaro, parliament's venting of feelings "has served to bring to light the divisions that the Turkish question is causing on both the Right and the Left." Three-quarters of the French are opposed to Turkey entering the European Union and would vote against it in a referendum, according to an opinion poll Tuesday in Liberation newspaper. Taken after the European Commission's recommendation last week in favor of accession talks, the survey revealed France to be the most firmly hostile to Turkish membership of all the current 25 member states, the newspaper said. Overall 75.3 percent of those asked would vote no in a referendum, the poll found. Among supporters of President Jacques Chirac's Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) the figure was 75 percent, and among supporters of the opposition Socialists it was 64 percent. Only among the youngest voters--aged 18 to 24--was there a majority of 65.1 percent in favor. 2) Federal, State, and Local Officials to Attend 2004 ANCA Banquet Event to gather Los Angeles Mayor Hahn and may others at large-scale event LOS ANGELES (ANCA-WR)--Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn and Coucilmembers Tony Cardenas, Wendy Greuel, Bernard Parks, and Antonio Villaraigosa will be among special guests at this year's Armenian National Committee Western Region's (ANCA-WR) Annual Banquet on Sunday, October 24 at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington in Pasadena. Over 50 public officials have confirmed their attendance in what promises to be the largest gathering of political activists, public officials, academics, and ANC supporters in the Western United States, including Congressmen Adam Schiff (D-CA), Howard Berman (D-CA) and Congresswoman Dianne Watson, California State Senators Richard Alarcon, Jack Scott, and Jackie Speier, California State Assemblymembers Dario Frommer, Jackie Goldberg, Manny Diaz, Carol Liu, Jenny Oropeza, and Ronald Calderon, California State Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi, and LA County Supervisor Mike Antonovich. "The ANCA's Capitol Hill Observance in Washington, DC is the only other event that attracts so many public officials of such significance," said the organization's Executive Director Ardashes Kassakhian. "The Annual Banquet is an impressive display of the ANC's determination to follow through on our goals, and it is important for public officials to witness this energy." This year's banquet will honor US Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA) with the ANCA-WR Legacy Award, State Senator Charles Poochigian (R-Fresno) with the Man of the Year Award, and the Near East Foundation with the ANCA-WR Freedom Award. The Annual Banquet is the ANCA-WR's biggest annual event and helps raise funds to operate the nation's largest grassroots and most influential political advocacy organization. For more information on the banquet and to reserve your table and tickets, please call (818) 500-1918. 3) Congressional Candidates Continue to Speak Out on Armenian Issues Incumbents and challengers reach out to Armenian voters through the ANCA candidate questionnaire "I will continue to support a strong US-Armenian relationship. Our nations stand together, determined to create a future of peace, prosperity, and freedom for the citizens of both countries, regions, and the world." ­ Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ-5) WASHINGTON, DC--In the final weeks before the November 2 elections, Congressional candidates from around the nation continue to submit Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Candidate Questionnaires outlining their views on Armenian American issues. The ANCA questionnaires were sent to over 1,000 Congressional candidates throughout the country as part of this election cycle's ANCA voter education drive. Copies of both the Congressional and Presidential questionnaires can be downloaded by visiting the ANCA website at <; Also provided on this website are sample cover letters and instructions for forwarding the questionnaires to candidates. The ANCA's election year voter education campaign helps inform Armenian Americans about the policy issues impacting Armenia, Karabagh, and the Armenian American community. The campaign also provides timely and reliable information on the records and views of the candidates seeking Armenian American votes, while encouraging increased civic participation in local, state, and national elections. The Questionnaire features nine questions about recognition of the Armenian Genocide; US support for Armenia and Karabagh; US-Armenia economic relations; self-determination for Karabagh; conditions on US aid to Azerbaijan; the Turkish blockade of Armenia; and the US subsidy of the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline bypass of Armenia. Provided below are several questions asked to Congressional candidates throughout United States. --Do you support Congressional initiatives and resolutions to commemorate the Armenian genocide? --Do you support US aid and other bilateral programs to strengthen Armenia's independence? --Do you support continued US developmental and humanitarian assistance to Karabagh? --Do you support expanding the US-Armenia economic relations, including extending permanent normal trade relations for Armenia and negotiating a Social Security Agreement and Tax Treaty? --Do you support Karabagh's right to self-determination within secure borders? --Do you support maintaining Section 907 as a statement of US opposition to Azerbaijan's blockades? --Do you support legislative and other means to encourage Turkey to end its blockade of Armenia? --Do you support linking US arms sales/transfers to Turkey to its blockade of Armenia, occupation of-Cyprus, mistreatment of Kurds, restrictions on Christian communities, and human rights record? --Do you oppose US taxpayer subsidies for a Baku-Ceyhan pipeline route that avoids Armenia? 4) AYF at European Socialist Forum YEREVAN (YERKIR)--The Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) will join over 300 organizations in the third European Socialist Forum (ESF) in London, October 15-17. The forum is set to discuss issues ranging from war to human rights. An AYF representative’s report is planned for the War and Peace session. The AYF has participated in the two previous forums held in Italy in 2002, and France in 2003. Around 20,000 campaigners from trade unions, charities, religious groups, and political organizations will take part in over 500 seminars, workshops, and talks. A huge cultural program of screenings, theater, and exhibitions is running alongside the political debates; the event will culminate in a demonstration against the war in Iraq on Sunday. "The whole point of the forum is finding common ground," said one participant. "Coming here allows us to build bridges and remove misunderstandings." 5) ANCA Mobilizes Grassroots in Arizona PHOENIX--The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) continued to reach out to Armenian communities across the Western United States with its recent trip to Phoenix, Arizona. ANCA Western Region Executive Director Ardashes Kassakhian and Government Relations Director Armen Carapetian met with ANC activists from the Arizona community to discuss the importance of the upcoming November elections. An ANC workshop with community leaders and activists highlighted their Grand Canyon State visit, along with participation in various community events, including a dance at the local church hall and a community picnic that attracted over one hundred Arizona Armenians. "The Armenian American community in Arizona is growing and prospering," Kassakhian said following his two-day trip. "The increasing political awareness of Armenian Americans in Arizona impressed us. Clearly, the ANC of Arizona is going to play an important role in a state with eight Members of the House and two very important US Senators." ANCA-WR staff spent the weekend in Arizona and collected signatures from community members for a petition addressed to Congressman Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) who serves as the Chairman of the influential Congressional Subcommittee on Foreign Operations Appropriations. The petitions urged Congressman Kolbe to maintain language in the Fiscal Year 2005 Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill authored by Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA). The bill prohibits Turkey from using any US foreign aid money to lobby against official US acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide. Over 100 signatures in support of the Kolbe petition were collected at a community picnic organized and hosted by the Arizona Armenian Relief Society. At the gathering, Kassakhian summarized ANCA's priorities in Washington, DC and in the Western Region, including passage of a genocide resolution and of a bill to provide normal trade relations between the United States and Armenia. 6) Global Healing Sets its Sights on Gyumri GYUMRI--Cindy Basso Eaton is a long way from the manicured lawns of her childhood town of Stockton as she surveys the "houses" that stretch along the streets of Gyumri, the second largest city in Armenia. She shakes her head in disbelief, shocked that nearly two decades after one of the world's most devastating earthquakes rocked this region to the ground, nearly 15,000 residents still call makeshift metal "sea container" like shelters home. As the president of Global Healing, this scene only serves to give her more incentive to pursue the California-based, non-profit organization's latest endeavor. This year, Global Healing will embark on its 6th healthcare project (Global Healing has four completed medical projects in Tbilisi, Georgia and a current medical project in Roatan, Honduras). With the blessings of the Ministry of Health of Armenia, Global Healing will construct and oversee until self-sufficiency, Armenia's first-ever blood banking facility operating at international standards. "Global Healing is a lifeline to those communities whose petitions for help have fallen through the cracks of poverty, civil unrest or environmental upheaval," Basso Eaton explained. "We zero in on a need, and supply the fix. You won't find us sitting in a boardroomwe have none. Our offices are our computers, phones, cars, kitchens," she explained." We are a small group of hardworking volunteers dedicated to bringing modern healthcare to developing countries. We never say never." The Armenia project is an example of that attitude. Although "blood stations" exist in Armenia, Basso Eaton explained these centers lack national or international guidelines for operation and safety. A large portion of the blood transfused in the regions of Armenia is untested or not tested properly and risks contamination with infectious diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B and C and syphilis. In addition, there is no system in place for transporting blood products throughout the region. This was a scenario Global Healing could not ignore. "When completed, the Gyumri facility will have the technology and functioning equipment to test all donor blood for infectious disease as well as accurately type, process, store and cross match blood prior to transfusion," she explained. "We feel the people in the Shirak region deserve no less than this," she continued. The Gyumri blood bank will be modeled after Global Healing's Tbilisi, Georgia blood bank facility and will include extensive training of Armenian staff by foreign medical and administrative teams. Basso Eaton's pleas for help have been successful. "With just $7,000 in donations we have done amazing things to realize the launch of this important project," she said. In June, The United Armenian Fund in Los Angeles helped send a container of equipment and supplies to the proposed site in Gyumri. The equipment and supplies were donated by Baxter, Northern California. In addition, Helmer Laboratories donated two vital temperature controlled blood bank refrigeration units as well as a platelet incubator and agitator. Global Healing received confirmation that Doctors Without Borders will supply the blood bank with infectious disease kits and the Armenia Aids Program will supply equipment for testing HIV as well as HIV test kits through the Global Fund project. In addition, Becton Dickinson has donated over one years worth of blood bank supplies. Major monetary donors to date have been Alice Runge, Frank and Irene Garavano, Andy and Nora Armenian, Stan Shore and two anonymous donors. "Now we are looking for the angel, that special person or corporation who can step in and give us the financial power to complete this promise in Armenia," Basso Eaton explained. To fully begin and complete the blood bank, Global Healing needs to raise $150,000. $30,000 will be used in the renovation of the existing site. $60,000 will be used to procure the necessary equipment and supplies not donated. $60,000 will be used to cover the expense of sending foreign medical and educator teams to Armenia to train locals. It will also be used to implement a media campaign in Armenia to educate the public on the merits of a "voluntary" blood donation system as opposed to the existing "paid" programs. 100-percent of contributions will be used for the Armenia Project. Global Healing is a US non-profit 501 (c) (3) and soon to be a UK registered charity. Please send contributions to Global Healing, PO Box 2166 Orinda, CA 94563. Please visit the website at 7) Rose and Alex Pilibos Ark Library: a case for books and libraries By Ani Boyadjian Boghigian There's a point in time in any young reader's life, when she or he remembers being turned on to books. Whether the loving image of a parent holding up a book and readingthe book becoming the extension of something so dear, in turn becoming endearing itselfor a teacher in high school assigning that one great book that opens the floodgates to new sensations--the result is one and the same: the beginning of a lifelong love affair with reading. Words, in the right sequence, can be truly powerful. And images, conjured up through the dog-eared pages of a favorite tome, leave indelible footprints in our imagination, become an endless source of fascination--to be discovered and rediscovered, as we grow older. For me, it was when my parents bought a World Book encyclopedia set from a door-to-door salesman in the very early 70s. I was so impressed that they would devote such a huge sum to a set of books, that I set off reading them all, one by one, letter by letter. Later, in my high school English class, our uncommon and irrepressibly joyful and sarcastic English teacher, Mr. Neil Dodd (who has vowed to "keep teaching at Mesrobian until the school burns down"), opened up the worlds of Dickens and Austen, Joyce and Heaney, by assigning books that still hold a special and sacred place. How about our kids--the readers and thinkers, we hope, of tomorrow? A nearly exclusive visual age leaves little room for the simple pleasures of a good book. Or does it? How many times have you heard the refrain "My kid does nothing but stare at the computer and chat online," or "I don't think my daughter reads enoughhow can I get her interested?" These are all valid and timely comments and questions. It's no secret that people are reading less, unless they are staring at a computer terminal. Unless kids are turned on to reading soon--and as often as possible, they will lose in a big way. Readers make better thinkers. Readers make better writers. So many students have trouble formulating a sentence, penning their thoughts. One of the obvious root problems is that they do not read enough. It IS possible to get students excited about reading. It IS possible to get students excited about a library. A new school library seeks to offer an alternative--a respite for the hand-eye coordination-weary--through the sanctuary of the book. When it comes to a school, it all starts from the library. Let me tell you how and why. After much planning, much work, and many promises, the Rose and Alex Pilibos Ark Library finally opened its doors. For the over 800 students of the school who have not seen a working library on campus for the past five or so years, this is, to say the least, an exciting time. After nearly two years of construction, and then over a year and a half getting the innards of the library in order, a fully automated library is ready and is already welcoming students to its fold. The project began with the idea to simply refurbish the existing two-classroom library. Over time, and through the persistent efforts of the administration, this was shelved in favor of an entirely new structure, built alongside a gymnasium that offers some breathing room for students on an already tight campus. The structure became an ark, soaring above the school, seemingly floating and resting on "Ararat," the gymnasium. Architects Robert Mangurian and Mary-Ann Ray of Studioworks designed the boat-shaped library from a standpoint of merging two philosophical ideas: "gymnastike" (meaning exercise of the body, for the gym structure, or "Ararat") plus "musike" (education of the mind, denoting the library)thus creating a harmony of form and function. [For more information on the award-winning structure, see the links listed at the end of the article]. When the architects were done with their magic, the real roll-up-your-sleeves work began. With a loyal work force of student volunteers, many of whom devoted a huge part of their summer to help out in the library by hauling books in and out, matching books to catalog cards and annotating them with notes and other necessary tasks, the library began to take shape and form. Though the outline the entire process may not be particularly interesting, it may nevertheless serve as a blueprint or guideline for any Armenian school which, through a mixture of a luck in funding and/or "pari nakhants," would like to update or automate their library and its collection. The first questions to ask when undertaking such a project include the following: Is the current facility adequate? If not, what other space can be used? What are the needs of students/teachers? Is the current collection timely, or is it mostly outdated and in need of replacement? Is there a need to automate, or is the card catalog enough? What goes into library automation? What are the obvious and hidden costs associated with such a project? The prerequisites to this project are a modest budget, a good consultant, and a large and loyal workforce. No library can be established without some kind of a budget. A budget will cover library software costs (which may run from $3K to $10K), computer terminals/workstations (which can be purchased or leased through a vendor), new materials costs (new books, audiovisual materials, etc.), and other essentials (various library furniture, promotional materials, etc.). Hidden costs may include computer networking and licensing fees, many of which need to be renewed yearly, and other costs that may creep up over the life of the project, which can run longer than expected. A great library, however, is a both a great long and short-term investment for the school. It can also work to accomplish things that may not be obviously and readily measured. It can revitalize school programs and school pride, to get students involved in the day-to-day operations of running a library long after the start-up work is over, ensuring their presence and active participation. In the summer of 2002, after the new structure was finished, a student workforce, under the supervision of the Education Committee of the Rose and Alex Pilibos School, began by hauling the books into the library from a storage area where they had been kept from the time the previous library space was emptied. A card catalog for both the Armenian and English collections was kept; although it was not maintained or updated, it was nonetheless invaluable in getting the collection automated. Most of the books had call numbers and spine labels, making them easy enough to sort by subject. At the start of the project, the existing English-language collection consisted of about 2,500 titles, while the Armenian collection numbered around 1,000. Students began the painstaking task of matching the catalog card to the book in hand. This was done with the understanding that the cards would be collected and then shipped to our vendor, Follett (a leader in school and public library services and software), which would then "create" a database for us that we could upload into our new online catalog. One by one, book by dusty book, cards were matched and collected. Any books that were not fit to be up on the shelfoutdated items, torn and badly damaged bookswere weeded, or removed, from the collection with care and consideration. Once all of the cards were collected, they were sent to the vendor. The vendor took each catalog card, and created a new database for the Library. They printed labels and barcodes, and mailed disks that contained a bibliographic recordwhat you see as the author, title, publisher and subject information for a bookfor each item that we downloaded into the server. Then, an army of students went through all of the label and barcode sheets, and matched them with our booksbook by book. At the same time, new books were ordered for the Library, a much-needed shot in the arm and an attempt to fill in some gaping holes in the collection. The school administration set aside a start-up budget for books. No new books had been purchased for the library for some five years. Follett software offers a service called Titlewave, which offers new, award-winning titles for purchase in every subject. Subject by subject, award-winning books that supplemented the existing collection and were deemed appropriate and supplemental for the curriculum taught at the school were selected, purchased, and sent, shelf-ready, with disks ready for uploading, from the vendor. Over several monthsin the fortunate company of zealous students with insatiable appetites for Sassoun Bakery's banirov beoreg and Arax Bakery's manaeesh (present company included)the facility began to take shape and finally, began resembling a library. Alongside the physical labor and new book purchases, the school's Education Committee also planned the purchase and layout of computer terminals, and a list of necessary library furniture and signage that would be designed by either the architects, or purchased from a vendor. The Education Committee contacted Dell with the express interest of purchasing computer terminals for the Library, which ended up as a lease agreement. In addition, we secured the lease for the more than 25 terminals for the new computer lab at the school. The advantages of leasing from a major vendor are the availability of round-the-clock hardware support, as well as replacement of the terminals if they malfunction, or an upgrade if a newer model is released. The architects wired the Ark so that it is computer-ready, making it a rather simple process to network the terminals and the server in spaces that were pre-designated for the workstations. The overall layout of the library was also an important consideration: One side of the Ark would hold English-language materials--the other, Armenian-language ones--in a mirror image of each other. It was very important to place Armenian books in a prominent area of the Library, and not relegate itand its contentsto a corner. The Armenian- language collection would also be cataloged, book by book, using Library of Congress rules for transliteration and romanizationbasically creating records for each Armenian book by using English letters to represent Armenian soundsand adding subject headings for each book. I can safely say that this is the first Armenian day-school library to have its Armenian collection romanized and made part of the online catalog, or OPAC. This is significant and important for many reasons. First, it means Armenian books are treated the same way--worthy of the same respect--as any English-language book. Second, teachers and students can use the catalog to search Armenian books that are as accessible as English-language books. Third, it makes the Armenian language collection, and the English language collection, open for anyone to browse--anywhere in the world with Internet access. In the future, all Armenian records will also include a link to a digital image of the title page of the book. Many, many times, Armenians with wonderful book collections ask, "What should I do with my Armenian books? I'd like to donate them, but am not sure what to do…" Armenians are very proud of their personal libraries, and with good reason. Many in our community and in communities across the nation have rich personal libraries that include out-of-print Armenian books that are unavailable anywhere. My answer will always beGive your books where they are needed the most: either to a library or to an Armenian institution--on the condition that they will make them accessible by making them part of an online catalog. A library will add those books to their online catalog, making them either part of a national database, which is the case with most public and academic libraries, or make them part of their online catalog accessible through the Webwhich is the case with school and/or special libraries. The book is thereby never sent to oblivion. Instead, it becomes part of a rich heritage, another "member" of cyber library space. In this way, all books at the Rose and Alex Pilibos Ark Library are made available to literally the world, through access to our online catalog. In my estimation, this is most certainly an important statement. The cataloged Armenian book, which may not be available at any other library in the country, exists, and anyone who is interested may discover that it exists. Certainly this is the first step towards it use. Certainly it is superior to having it languishing in dust in a personal library or garage. The Education Committee was happy to receive many donations from teachers and the community-at-large. Local writer and literary critic Puzant Granian donated the Armenian collection. New Armenian titles were purchased at Sardarabad, a local source for books. While in Armenia this summer, I picked up other titles, including an Armenian translation of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Which brings me to my next point: there is an obvious lack of interesting and timely Armenian literature for young adults. A look at the picture-book section of English-language books, and the corresponding section for Armenian- language books for children drives the point home. Many of the Armenian- language books are thin, paper-bound, and of poor quality. Thankfully, a great crop of Armenian-language books for children have been publishedin Armenia, and abroadthat attest to the fact that things are changing. Now the voice of our generation, in Armenian, is needed. Stories for youth that speak to them in the here and now, in their native language, telling stories that are meaningful to their age, world-view and experience. These are the kinds of issues that are brought to the fore when working on a library collection. It's not simply purchasing this and that, but fueling the idea to also create this and thatin this case, and why not, original stories in Armenian for young adults. But I digress. Alongside these considerations, the Committee worked hard to project future needs and services, and hired a new librarian Sarig Armenian, to spearhead these projects. The librarian and teachers are already working closely, through library orientation sessions and various events, to help students discover that the Library is a place to read, do research, think and discover. Alongside the Library, the library website was also developed. The website provides an active link to the OPAC, or online catalog, as well as access to Proquest library databases (geared toward K-12 research needs), links to useful websites for research and recreation, and other valuable information. The collection now includes nearly 5,000 books in English and Armenian, covering virtually all subjects. The Library also owns periodicals ("Pakine," "Hairenik," etc.) and some Armenian monographs dating to the early part of the 20th century. Future plans also include adding an audiovisual collection and viewing section. At present, the library is open to students and staff only. However, in time, the Library has plans to open to the public and become a true community library. It is my dream that all Armenian schools automate their libraries, one by one, step by step, and create a consortium of libraries for resource sharing, with each school library complementing, completing and enriching the other. For those libraries that are already there, consider the consortium idea as one to ponder. For those libraries on their way to automation, consider it another reason to get started. The Rose and Alex Pilibos Ark Library is at a fresh, new, and exciting stage in its ongoing development. The architectural space is organic; it has been interesting to see it bloom through the books and all of the positive energy flowing through, on the road to becoming that harmony of form and function that the architects envisioned. During the Grand Opening celebration, I asked Stefan Scheide, one of the architects who has worked so closely on this project, how he felt seeing the space at this juncture. He said that it is the most amazing time, because no matter how well an architectural space is planned, you cannot really foresee just how it will be utilized or how it will come alive. Over time, students and teachers will discover all that the library has to offer--and all that they can bring to the equation. A library with a great collection is of no use unless it is used, and used well. The challenge now will be to create avenues and bridges where students will discover booksboth in English and Armenianand forge a new and dynamic relationship with books and reading. It's not an impossible dream, and the ultimate winners would be our kids. Read about the Ark: w ww.architecturemag.com/architecture/search/search_display.jsp?vnu_content_id =1974957 The Ark was featured in: Lotus International, 2003, no. 117, pp. 86-93. Visit the Pilibos Library: library.pilibos.org and become a Friend of the Pilibos Library. -------------- Ani Boyadjian Boghigian is Russian and Armenian Acquisitions and Catalog Librarian for the Los Angeles Public Library system, and is a member of the Rose and Alex Pilibos School's Education Committee. This is her second library automation project. Her first project was the AUA Papazian Library in Yerevan, Armenia. 8) gor--pronunciation: 'gOr, 'gor 1 : grammatically incorrect verb ending in Western Armenian 2 : innovative musician, charismatic, rising World Music star by Paul Chaderjian His name is blunt. Gor. Say it. It's okay. Gor. Say it again. You can, you know. True. Many frustrated Armenian schoolmarms and parents have scolded students to stop tacking a 'gor' at the end of verbs. It may be grammatically incorrect, but it's also the name of the hottest music act since [fill in the name of the last artist whose CD you downloaded]. Gor. Say it. Shout his name from rooftops, at church halls and kebob stands. Text message your friends. IM them with smiley faces, swap the files, sync up your iPod, for now "Gor" is a more than an error in Armenian history--it's the future, the present, and it's making a mark in the diaspora. "There are a lot of Armenians who are ready to listen to a new kinds of Armenian music," says Gor, "and I am offering them something new." Meet Gor Mkhitarian, former lead guitarist and vocalist for the hit Yerevan-based rock band "Lav Ehlee." He taught himself how to play the guitar, sang in the church choir in Vanadzor, writes his own songs about life, love, about his struggles, about people living and struggling. Among his influences, he lists William Saroyan, Moby Dick, the Beatles, and the Armenian culture. "When I was growing up in the 1980s, bands like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles were censored," says Gor in perfect English. "People couldn't find these records, because they were called 'bourgeois' or capitalist music. You simply couldn't find the music in the stores." Gor's brothers scoured the black market and brought home bootleg copies of Western music. He loved the sound so much that he formed a rock band with his friends. "We were just playing and hanging out," he says. "We loved the music, so we decided to play and record some covers, and that's how we started." Behind the Iron Curtain, influenced by the history of the era, inspired by Western rock, and seeded with the sounds of Rouben Mateossian, Flora Mardirossian, Rouben Hakhverdian, and then-underground star Arthur Meschian were the sprouts of Gor's music today. What evolved from passion and love of music in 1995 was the biggest rock band in Yerevan Lav Ehlee. "We recorded a bunch of albums," says Gor. "The rock music we played was more like acoustic rock, more like the Rolling Stones, the Dave Matthews band, that kind of music. Not too heavy and not too soft." Gor. Not to heavy. Not too soft. But blunt. 30. Handsome and charismatic. Now a solo act. Check the web. Google his name. You'll be surprised by the buzz, the praise from a dozen publications and the honors from Armenian and non-Armenian award shows. Now click on his album cover on CDRama.com and buy his latest and third CD, Episodes. "I mix a lot of genres in Episodes, but it's all in Armenian," says Gor. "My work is all about Armenia, being Armenian, being a human being in Armenia. With a lot of influence coming from Western music, I'm trying to make a bridge between cultures, especially between Armenians in Armenia and Armenians in the diaspora." Exhausted are the half-dozen remakes every Armenian musician has sung once and then again. This is Armenian music reinventing itself. This is the music drafting into the culture young fans with sophisticated tastes. It's bringing back the comatose canon of oh-so-passe, circle-dancing tunes from keyboard generated duduks, wa-wa organs, and drum machines. That is old. This is raw, new and true. Turn up your iPod. Listen to the accordion, the base, acoustic guitar. You're in a new world. A new age. Can you hear the violin? Can you hear the flute? Those words in Armenian about a young man waking up and understand is poetic. You are special once again, in your cocoon of an MP3 player, in your car, on the subway. Can you hear the Banjo? Turn it up. It's all there, and it's all Armenian, 100 percent. Written, composed, and performed by a talented musician from Vanadzor, whose chance meeting with a Bostonian created the quantum leap in music. "A friend of a friend, Raffi Meneshian from Boston, came to Armenia for a few weeks," says Gor. "We had a party, and I played the guitar. Raffi listened and told me that he wanted to release my first solo album--just acoustic guitar and vocals." The accidental meeting in 2001 led to the release of "Yeraz" by Boston-based Pomegranate Records. That's how the legend began, and it's caught on. What was recorded in bits and bytes was trail-blazing Armenian music, fueled by the restless boredom and anxiety of a culture sick of its parents' and grandparents' music. In hotrods in New Jersey, on the freeways in So Cal, and on the 1 and 9 lines on the Upper West Side are random men and women listening to revolutionary music, once underground, now energized by the rabid getaway from years of take-me-seriously classical, 'estradayeen,' bee-bopping, rabiz, and whatever renovations of staid genres. "The new album, Episodes, is about episodes from peoples' lives," says Gor. "There are a few acoustic songs, just guitar and vocals like my first album. There are also experimental songs with a lot different musicians like in my second album." Gor's second album, Godfather Tom, showed off the musician's uncanny ability to take musical risks, mixing new instruments with his ancient culture, using the cadence of the Armenian language with the backdrop of Hillbilly, Rock, and Country all in one. "If listeners like it, great," says Gor about his music. "If they don't, it's just a matter of taste. We're fine with that too. But I think they're going to like it, because the new generation is looking for something new." Gor is serving up original lyrics with pride. Candid lyrics. Personal thoughts. "I don't want to remember what I did the night before, but it's evident who I am." Who he is and his music will be featured in the Thanksgiving Day Armenia Fund Telethon. Set your VCR's and program the TiVo, because his music is inventive, fitting no genre, and creating something new. In Armenia they call him "Alternative Armenian Folk Music." In the real world, Gor has scored big with young Armenians everywhere. "We started to sell my album Yeraz not only in the Armenian market," says Gor, "but also on the Internet, Amazon, and CD Baby, and we've had a good response from listeners. They says they don't understand any words, but they loved it." "Yeraz," his first solo CD released in 2002, fused the unique sounds and lyrics of ancient Armenian folk music with modern rock and sometimes experimental sounds. The innovative and original combination quickly garnered global attention, winning Gor acclaim from all over the world, as well as accolades such as "best alternative rock singer" and "best world music album." Gor. You haven't heard this kind of novelty before. Trust me and say Gor. Take a chance. Buy it on-line or sample the music on-line from the archives of "All Things Armenian" from Fresno State Radio (<;). Thousands are now fans, chanting his name at small and large concert venues in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, even in Wisconsin. Gor's music (gormusic.com) is unusual. It's addicting. It's Gor. And he's got banjos and Komitas on one expressionist musical canvas. "I met my banjo player in Armenia," explains Gor. "He was serving in the Peace Corp in Armenia. I met him in Vanadzor and Itchevan. He is a great musician, so we got together, and we recorded this album. Since then, we recorded my second and now third album." It's the old world meeting the new, the banjo-playing Peace Core volunteer meshing with the language of Mashtots. The bridge between East and West. A liaison world music publications are calling "Post-Soviet Alternative Folk Rock." But Gor is beyond labels. He's fresh. He's new. He's fun to listen to, and he has the ethereal IT. In other words, corporate music librarians in New York high rises like it, don't know how to describe, and know it's a sure hit for world audiences. And it's Armenian. Underground. No more. Gor is out there, and his music is selling at Armenian record stores, on Amazon and CDRama dot com. Armenian music--Welcome to the 21st Century, Baby and turn the alarm clock off already. "I woke up, I saw, I understood everything," he sings. It's cutting edge. It's pioneering. And it's unusually hip. Fans say Gor represents a new generation of Armenians who are redefining what the culture thinks of as Armenian culture. So show the schoolmarms the birdie and start saying "Gor" as many times as you want. He's now part of the new Armenian lexicon. 9) Los Angeles Art Show Features Extensive Jansem Collection New York's Galerie Rienzo exhibits 14 Jansem works in Los Angeles, along with and other rare works After being in the art business for many years, Robert Rienzo opened Galerie Rienzo in 1985. Today, he owns an impressive collection that includes works by Post-Impressionists Charles Camoin, Elisée Maclet, and Louis Valtat, as well as Salvador Dali, Eugène Galien-Laloue, Pablo Picasso, and French Armenian artist Jean Jansem. “Jansem is the second most important painter of the School of Paris painters,” says Robert Rienzo who specializes in the School of Paris and is the exclusive representative of Bernard Buffet for the United States. “Jansem is also the expert and top living painter now at age 84.” Rienzo has brought fourteen of Jansem's works to the Los Angeles Art Show, taking place October 15-17. Among them is Jansem's 'Reclining Ballerina with Tutu.' “This work by Jansem is quite rare," says Rienzo, explaining that although images of ballerinas are not rare in Jansem’s work, it is difficult to obtain those with tutus. Approximately 55 galleries, both domestic and international, are participating with 3,000 works by 250 artists of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Rienzo’s collection covers 1950-1990. The Los Angeles Art Show began on Thursday, October 14 and will last until Sunday, October 17 at the Barkar Santa Monica Air Center, South Field, 3021 Airport Avenue, Santa Monica, California. Show admission is $18 a complete show catalog. Members of participating museums can buy tickets at half price. 10) THE POLITICS OF BASEBALL--IT'S DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN! BY SKEPTIK SINIKIAN I'm not a fan of baseball. In fact, it's the one sport that I could care less about. Leave it to us Americans to come up with a national pastime where overweight people stand around aimlessly for hours looking bored and scratching themselves periodically. This is not a sport, it's the checkout line at the local WalMart! I personally think that any game where people remain stationary for more than ten minutes is not a sport. If there were rabid dogs chasing players on the field or if you were allowed to hold on to the baseball bat throughout the game and use it for self defense--now that would be exciting to watch. My friend, however, strongly disagrees. He lives by the game and when his beloved Boston Red Sox made the playoffs this year, he was beside himself. (Seriously folks, I don't think he got this excited when he heard the Soviet Union collapsed and Armenia was free again.) Anyway, it turns out that his so-called BoSox are notoriously bad at the game. In fact, they haven't won a World Series since 1918. But before I go on, just to reinforce my opinion that baseball is a ridiculous "sport," I want to know who names a team after an item of clothing anyway? What's next? The Glendale Baby Blue Muu Muus? So where were we? Ah yes…the Bostontsi Garmeer Koolbahs. Every year my friend claims that THIS will be the year the Red Sox win the World Series. And sure enough, every year the Red Sox fall short. My friend took me to a bar in Santa Monica to watch the game against the New York Yankees (the arch rivals of the Red "Koolbahs") a few days ago and there, in their as-natural-as-it-can-get habitat, I observed the Red Sox fans cheer, gloat, sulk, and weep throughout the game which lasted a mind numbing three hours and forty minutes. While I watched these crazed fans, a thought dawned on me. Red Sox fans are the Armenians of baseball! Every year they hope to achieve greatness and every year they fall short. Sometimes it's because of poor team management, other times there are disagreements between players, most of the time however, they are just outmatched by the colossal New York Yankees whose combined players' salaries for one year is more than all the foreign aid that Armenia has received from the United States the last two years ($ 184,193,950 in 2004 alone!) But why do I think that the Armenians are like the Red Sox? There's the collective underachiever quality they share. The Red Sox have apparently had some of the best players in baseball throughout their history but have never been able to collectivize that talent towards a World Championship Title! That's not that different from Armenians who boast some of the brightest thinkers and most talented artists in the world but put two Armenians in a room together and you end up with eight different political parties and at least seven opinions all on the same issue. Here's another quirky coincidence between the Red Sox and Armenians. The last time they Sox won the Series was in 1918--the same year Armenia achieved independence. Makes you think. As I sat there watching the perennial underdogs of this snail-paced gladiator match fight off inevitable defeat, my friend turned to me, pale faced and depressed and blurted "I can't watch anymore. I can't stand losing to the Yanks again." I smiled to myself because I had been wondering the same thing about this year's Genocide Resolution, the upcoming 90th Anniversary of the Armenian genocide, the poor Armenian Archbishop of Jerusalem who was spat on by a Yeshiva student earlier this week, all the while thinking "This is ridiculous. When will Armenians stop being kicked around?" And as the bar emptied after yet another demoralizing BoSox loss to the Goliath Yankees, my friend, who only moments ago had looked more nervous and shaken up than a prostitute at Catholic confession, had a calm smile creasing across his face. "We can tie the series when they come back to Boston," he said to himself. "We'll win all three games in Boston and push a game 6 or 7 in New York." The New York Yankees have won 26 World Series match ups since the Red Sox last won a Series. But my friend still had hope. I still think that I'd rather undergo a lobotomy than watch an entire game of baseball. Maybe then I'd enjoy it. But watching my friend cheer for the underdog, I understand the importance of picking yourself up when you're down, dusting yourself off, and getting back in the saddle. It doesn't matter if your opponents have beaten 20 or 200 times. It's the one time when they are expecting to win and when you beat them matters. That's why even if the Congressional Leadership, the White House, lobbyists for Turkey, Armenian organizations who work against the interests of our community succeed in derailing our initiatives this year, we will get up and start over. As the great US President and roughrider Teddy Roosevelt once pointed out, "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and seat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasm; the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best, knows triumph and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." After all, it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings. Play ball! Skeptik Sinikian never wants to be taken out to the ball game even though he enjoys peanuts and crackerjacks. Sinikian can be reached for comment at [email protected] or on his blog at 11) CALENDAR SATURDAY OCTOBER 16 Pyunic Presents the 2nd Annual Kef Night featuring "The John Bilezikjian Band." Location: Baghdasarian-Shahinian Hall (Glendale HMEM Ararat Chapter), 3347 N. San Fernando, Los Angeles, 90065. Donation: $35. For tickets call Lorig Sivazlian (818) 517-1208. Come casual, full of energy, and ready to dance. THROUGH SUNDAY OCTOBER 17 Horizon TV presents Gabo (Gabriel Manukyan) paintings. Saturday, October 16: 11:00 AM-9:00 PM. Sunday, October 17: 11:00 AM-6:00 PM. Location: St. Gregory Armenian Catholic Church Hall, 1510 East Mountain Street, Glendale, 91207. For more info call Horizon (818) 246-1989 or Zepiur (714) 425-4447. WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY OCTOBER 20, 21 Tom Bozigian 12 week Armenian/Greek Dance Course--2 locations: St. Peter's Armenian Church, 17231 Sherman Way, Van Nuys (Wed.) and Glendale Civic Auditorium, 1401 N. Verdugo Road, Glendale (Thurs.) All levels. Time: 7-10:30 PM. Adults: $95 Students: $85. Call for discount packages (562) 941-0845 THROUGH SUNDAY OCTOBER 24 Harvest Gallery presents the works of Zareh. 938 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Parking available corner of Brand and Glenoaks. (818) 546-1000. SUNDAY OCTOBER 25 Annual ANCA-WR Banquet. Call (818) 500-1918 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5 ARF Western Region Central Committee annual banquet, details to be announced. SUNDAY NOVEMBER 7 Holy Cross Ladies' Aid 4th Annual Holiday Boutique. 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Location: Holy Cross Cathedral, Bagramian Hall, 900 West Lincoln Avenue, Montebello. Free Admission. FRIDAY DECEMBER 24 A Christmas to Remember Dinner-dance. Joseph Krikorian and Armenchik in Reno, Nevada. Package includes 3 days & 2 nights at Peppermill Hotel & Casino, includes dinner-dance. $340 per couple, transportation available with reservations from Glendale/North Hollywood/Hollywood. For more information or tickets call (818) 339-2466. THROUGH DECEMBER 31 Traces of Identity: An Insider's View of the LA Armenian Community, 2000-2004. Photographs by Ara Oshagan, Barnsdall Art Park, 4800 Hollywood Blvd. Fri-Sun 12-5 PM, Adults $5, Seniors & Ages 12-17 $3. (323) 644-6269. JANUARY 9-16, 2005 ARMENIAN HERITAGE CRUISE VIII. Leaving Ft. Lauderdale, FL for 7 day Western Caribbean Cruise on Costa Mediterranean. Cruise cultural events, Armenian movies, Tavlou & Blote Tournaments, Armenian conversation & dance lessons, and much more. Music by Nersik Isperian and his Yerevan Band, the Richard Berberian Ensemble with Mal Barsamian, Arthur Apkarian and his Armenia Band, and new favorite from California George Pchakjian. All inclusive prices start at $699 per person double occupancy, port charges, federal/state taxes. Early booking prices through May 31, 2004. Limited discount Cabins remain. Call Travelgroup International 866-447-0750; or West Coast, Mary Papazian 818-368-8282; East Coast, Antranik Boudakian 718-575-0142. Visit <; SUNDAY FEBRUARY 27 An evening honoring the memory of 3 great legends of ANCHA--Mardikian, Saroyan & Shekerjian. Under the auspices of the ARS Western Region, organized by the Mardikian, Saroyan, Shekerjian Banquet Committee. Location: Los Angeles Police Academy, 1880 N. Academy Drive. Donation $75. For more information call 323-662-9259 or 818-335-2101. SATURDAY MARCH 5 Junior Achievement of Armenia and Armenian Eyecare Project gala event. Location: Orange County Museum of Art, 6:30 PM. For tickets call (818) 753-4997. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.