By Bethany BROWN

Glendale Unified School District will hold its 21^st Annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration on Thursday, April 21. The event – presented by GUSD Armenian Clubs from Clark Magnet, Crescenta Valley, Glendale and Hoover high schools – will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on television and online.

For those who have Spectrum as a cable provider, it can be accessed by tuning into Channel 15; for those with AT&T U-verse, it can be watched on Channel 99. The link to watch online is http://spectrumstream.com/streaming/gusd/live.cfm.

The Armenian Genocide began in the Ottoman Empire during World War I when the Young Turk regime rounded up hundreds of Armenians and hanged many of them in the streets of Istanbul before beginning the genocidal deportation to the desert of most of the Armenian population, according to a Yale case study. From 1915, inspired by rabid nationalism and secret government orders, Turks drove the Armenians from their homes and massacred them in such numbers that witnesses at the time described what was happening as “a massacre like none other,” or “a massacre that changes the meaning of massacre.” Although there is a lack of reliable figures on the death toll, many historians accept that between 800,000 and one million people were killed, often in unspeakably cruel ways, or marched to their deaths in the deserts to the south.

The theme of the April 21 event is “Bringing Awareness Together” by encouraging conversation surrounding the atrocities inflicted upon the Armenian community and remembering the number of people who lost their lives 107 years ago. Additionally, it will serve as a celebration of the community’s resiliency and the rich culture that was held onto over the decades, despite the Turks’ attempt at diminishing it.

Prenie Ohanian, president of the CVHS Armenian Club, said the event will provide a platform for Armenian students to raise awareness and educate the public, as well as emphasize how proud they are of their culture and people. She said there will be a multitude of guest performances that include traditional dance, music and poetry, among others.

“Knowing that Glendale has a very large Armenian population, I think it’s important to not only discuss what happened to our ancestors but to also recognize the immensely beautiful aspects of our culture too – such as the food and music, strength and unwavering community. We want to spread a positive message in these times of remembrance.”

The GUSD Board of Education unanimously adopted a resolution last week that officially recognized the entire month of April as Armenian American Heritage Month. It will be highlighted on April 24 with Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. Ohanian said that she was one of the students who spoke at the board meeting in support of the potential resolution before it was officially added, and she now feels overjoyed with the outcome.

“Dedicating the entire month to Armenian culture will help educate all of our students collectively, and help Armenian students feel more included, welcome and understood,” she said. “I’d say my main goal in my position is to help all the Armenian students around me feel proud of their culture, proud of their ancestors and everything they’ve been through and just to be able to talk proudly about their culture to others.”

CVHS Armenian Club has plans to hold Armenian dance lessons at a club meeting later this month when they welcome all students to attend – they do not have to be club members. Ohanian believes it will be a great opportunity for her peers to experience the culture in a more tangible way and ultimately foster connection by bringing everybody together.