Chamlian students commemorate Armenian Genocide with 100 forget-me-not flowers

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, eighth-graders and first-graders at Vahan & Anoush Chamlian Armenian School planted 100 forget-me-not flowers in garden beds on the La Crescenta campus. As reports Armenpress citing glendalenewspress.com, thirteen-year-old Ara Yacoubian, student council president at the K-8 school, said the eighth-graders wanted to involve the first-graders in planting the flowers so the younger students can watch the plants grow as time goes by.

The flower is also a universal symbol this year among those living around the world who are part of the Armenian diaspora to commemorate the genocide where 1.5 million Armenians were massacred by the Ottoman Turks, beginning in 1915.

Chamlian’s eighth-graders are also preparing to travel to Armenia next week.

While Yacoubian traveled to Armenia as a small boy, he anticipates that returning this year will bring an entirely new perspective, especially after studying Armenian culture at Chamlian and graduating during the centennial year of the genocide. He added that going to Armenia means he’s doing a small part to commemorate the genocide, but he’s also part of a huge movement.

“It means, to me, that we have made a difference… us as eighth graders make a difference going to Armenia to pay homage to all our Armenian heroes, soldiers, really gives us a feeling of such pride, a wonderful feeling to know I had a part in this.”

Principal Talin Kargodorian also got her hands dirty Tuesday afternoon and planted flowers alongside the students. “We really want to empower students to honor their past and, at the same time, we’re preparing them to be responsible and active members of their community,” she said.