Author: Hagop Kamalian

Moscow called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to refrain from using force and return to the negotiating table, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a briefing on Thursday, reported the TASS news agency.

An Armenian journalist asked Zakharova to comment on an incident Monday, when Azerbaijani forces fired on military and civilian targets in Armenia’s Noyemberyan region, as a result of which a teenage boy and two soldiers were injured.

“According to available information, ceasefire violations are taking place on the border,” Zakharova said. “Civilian facilities and vehicles are coming under fire. There have been reports of casualties, including among civilians,” she added, once again failing to place the blame on Azerbaijan, which despite international calls to observe ceasefires during the coronavirus crisis, continues to provoke the situation.

“We call on both parties to show restraint, refrain from using force and return to the negotiating table as soon as the situation allows,” emphasized Zakharova.

BY DR. VAHE PEROOMIAN

My nearly 15 years of service on the Glendale Community College Board of Trustees came to an end on March 31, as I chose to bring a long and eventful chapter of my life to a close. It’s been quite a journey… When I was appointed to the Board in June 2005 to fill the vacancy created by Ara Najarian’s election to the Glendale City Council, I had had only the incidental contact with the College, but hoped to bring my experience in higher education to steer the college forward in the first decade of the 21st Century. A lot has happened since 2005, but allow me to reminisce on some of the highlights of what we’ve accomplished as a Board during that time, and reflect on the future of an institution that has occupied a significant portion of my thoughts and efforts in our community.

As I began my service on the Board, the College still had plenty of unspent funds from the Measure G bond passed by the citizens of Glendale in 2002. It became apparent in September 2005, at the most contentious meeting the Board has had during my tenure, that spending these funds was the continuation of a turf battle that would shape the future of the College. Should we allocate the remaining funds to a behemoth of a building designed to bring all vital college services under one roof, or should we expand our offerings at Garfield Campus, then but an oft-neglected stepchild of the College, by adding a new building there? In the end, Victor King, Dr. Armine Hacopian, and myself voted for Garfield. Then, as now, a significant fraction of students at our Garfield Campus were Armenian and over 30 years of age, taking English as a second language and computer training courses to enter the workforce. Fifteen years on, Garfield Campus is a shining example of our commitment to educating everyone in our community.

A little over a decade ago, the College found itself in turmoil due to the departure of its longtime Superintendent/President, Dr. John Davitt, and the hiring of a replacement that turned out to be much better on paper than in practice. The only silver lining in this experience turned out to be a push towards diversity in the ranks of the college faculty and administration, an initiative that continues to this day, led by Dr. David Viar, whose hiring is still one of the best decisions the Board has made in the last fifteen years.

Just in the last year, sparked by a suggestion from Dr. Armine Hacopian, my colleague on the Board, and due to the tireless legislative efforts of State Senator Anthony Portantino, the College has received permission to close its doors on April 24 each year in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. Without legislative action, the cost of doing so would be prohibitive. No longer do our students have to contend with exams or assignments scheduled on that day. The campus will be closed, and the campus community will commemorate Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.

Far from being singularly aimed at benefiting Armenian students, faculty, and staff at the College, many of my contributions during the last decade and a half have been toward making the College more accessible to every aspiring student and more directed toward student success. Several years ago, the Board learned that it was nearly impossible for a student to complete all of the necessary classes for transferring to four-year universities in two years. In fact, the average time spent at GCC for transfer-minded students was more than four years. Now, with emphasis on career pathways and extensive retooling of the course schedule, students routinely transfer within two years of enrolling at the college, my own daughter, Tara, an example of this. This endeavor has earned GCC the #1 rank in transfers to four-year universities among colleges in the Los Angeles Area. In fact, our College is among the top three in nearly every category of student success measured by the State Chancellor’s office.

Another initiative, and one that is ongoing, is to address the declining enrollment at the College, a continuous concern during the last decade. Students from Burbank, Glendale, and La Crescenta routinely bypass GCC and to other nearby colleges, mainly because of the reputation GCC has earned for being a “tough” school. Too many students think that courses at GCC are more difficult than those at Pasadena or LA Valley College, and too many high school seniors are infected with this notion before even taking a course at GCC. Too many of our instructors have an undeserved reputation of being unreasonably tough. This is one challenge that I will leave for my colleagues who remain on the Board and the new members that join them. The challenge GCC faces in the next decade is really one of reputation. We will succeed in this endeavor if and when our students tell stories not of failure, but of the incredible knowledge they gained from our world-class instructors and the incredible experience they had at GCC. This is our 21st Century challenge, one that requires everyone not only at GCC, but the Glendale community at large, to step up to.

I thank my colleagues on the Board, past and present, and the Superintendent/Presidents of the College that I had the honor of serving with and learning from. I sincerely thank the Glendale community for reelecting me to the Board on three occasions. Perhaps more importantly, I thank my wife, Carolyn, for the incredible support I’ve received through the years, and my children, Tara, Tadeh, and Sienna, for their understanding and support. In the last 15 years, the College has become one of the crown jewels of our Jewel City, has been voted the #2 most beautiful college campus in the U.S., made significant improvements to infrastructure and facilities, and has improved student access and success by leaps and bounds. Having done my duty, I proudly pass the torch of office to my colleagues and assure you that GCC will continue to be in my thoughts even as my tenure on the Board comes to an end.

An overview of how Armenia is responding to the coronavirus emergency: from the experience of those in quarantine to the measures taken by the government

Armenia-Italy-Portugal-Greece-Armenia. This was Arpi Bekaryan’s itinerary for a trip with friends a few weeks ago. Coming back to Yerevan around two weeks later, Arpi did not even get the chance to go home – at the request of the Armenian government, she was immediately transferred to a building in the resort town of Tsakhkadzor, which has been repurposed for quarantine. 

“Early in the morning we landed at Zvartnots International Airport from Athens. Outside of the airplane window it looked like a sci-fi movie: two ambulances and several doctors in masks standing in front of the plane. We didn’t even get inside the airport. Before opening the airplane doors, our names were called out and we were asked to disembark while all the other passengers waited until we had gone. Before coming back, we had already decided to self-isolate for 14 days after returning to Armenia and not even see our families”, Arpi says.

The government, however, took charge of the quarantine process – something which Arpi learned only at the airport. There she was greeted by the staff of Armenia’s Health and Labour Inspectorate, who checked her temperature, filled out a personal information form and, wishing her good health, saw her off to Tsakhkadzor.

“We were quickly accommodated in two ambulances: once again they filled out our personal data and took us to the quarantine area. They take care of us so well here that we even feel bad for that. They knock on the door every 15-20 minutes to ask what we need, what they can bring for us. We have everything here: coffee, tea, fruit, hairdryer, and slippers.

Arpi notes that at first the food issue was a little complicated as she is a vegetarian. Several times she had to send back food with meat, but then the issue was resolved.

The Armenian government has taken care of the quarantine of hundreds of citizens like Arpi. One of them is Biayna Mahari, whose Italian holiday also ended with quarantine. She returned to Armenia on a special flight from Italy organised by the government on March 16^th. The government also arranged for Armenian citizens in different parts of Italy to be transported to Rome on special buses, so that they would not face any potential health hazards on the way.

“It is very important to say a big thank you to the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Armenia in Italy. It is incredible to feel that your country is standing with you and when they constantly call you to understand how they can help, when they respond to emails within one hour and, most touching – send care packages in lovely bags with masks, gloves, and food. At the empty airport in Rome all the flights were cancelled and only in front of Yerevan’s the number of the gate was proudly written. There is nobody in the whole airport, and still you are greeted at the entrance and everything is explained to you… and so many other little things that you can imagine someone sitting in their workplace and setting these nice little details everywhere along the way for you to feel better”, Biayna wrote on her Facebook page upon her return to Armenia.

All the passengers were quarantined. Armenia also repatriated citizens from a number of other countries by special flights and routes.

All those in isolation live in comfortable conditions, receive good quality food, and all their needs are met. After 14 days in quarantine they undergo coronavirus testing: if the results are negative, they are sent home, and if the result is positive, they are transferred to hospitals that have been rapidly restructured and are ready to treat patients.

There are currently 532 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Armenia, including 30 recoveries and 3 deaths.

A state of emergency was declared on March 16^th and will last one month.

An office led by Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan has been set up to coordinate the management of the forces and resources enforcing the state of emergency.

It is currently forbidden to organise, hold, and participate in gatherings, strikes, and public events including concerts, exhibitions, and theatrical performances with the participation of 20 or more people; sports, cultural, or educational events which include but are not limited to celebrations and commemorations, birthdays, weddings, engagements, funerals, and other events as instructed by the Deputy Prime Minister.

From 10 to 12, only the elderly can visit grocery stores. Education is conducted via distance learning, including online classes. Most state employees are also teleworking. Interregional transport is off, and urban transportation vehicles are disinfected every day. Thousands of enterprises are closed, with the exception of grocery stores, pharmacies, and banks. The government has assured that there is no food deficit.

Steps are also being taken to provide state aid to enterprises. On March 26^th, the government allocated 150 billion drams (around 275 million Euros) in measures to mitigate the economic impact of coronavirus.

Salaries, pensions, and benefits will be paid on time. Thousands of families receive free food through various social assistance programmes by both the state and the private sector. Most operating banks and credit organisations have announced a credit freeze.