Katia Khanlian: To My Clueless Sister

Katia Khanlian, a student at the A&M Hovsepian School in Pasadena, CA is 2014 "ARTHUR HALVAJIAN MEMORIAL" ARMENIAN POETRY COMPETITION WINNER for the 12-17 age group. Congratulations, Katia!

I remember the memories we’ve made as children.

All the laughs we’ve had and all the foolish nonsense.

I remember every second of every one,

Grace, my goofy other half.

As if you’ve passed thirty,

You have your own place, car and money.

I count down the days until your arrival.

Now, I’m an only child because you’ve left me.

You’ve been placed in the real world now,

New faces, new challenges to overcome.

You say you’ve missed me, have you?

But I do wish you nothing but the best.

Emily Hagopian: Never Forget

Emily Hagopian is the 2014 "ARTHUR HALVAJIAN MEMORIAL" ARMENIAN POETRY COMPETITION WINNER in the 18-22 age category. Congratulations, Emily!

To be but what is not already there, an idealist self, and a realist idea

may lead one to the endless ponder of an everlasting legacy
-pondering and thinking, the stuff of life’s work
made up of tragedy, and tragic experiences
-this Americanized, romanticized idealism
forced to uphold empty promises
as we are born again to see an unending quest where
-there is no firm goal and no reward
-there is no promise of peace or tranquility
-there is no pursuit of happiness, no luck, no leaping, no lingering in dead-end back alley ways.
It is simply a celebration of faith
-all talk of simplicity set aside-
there may not even be faith, it may not even exist, who’s to know?
but it is the celebration that is so precarious
We walk into empty black rooms every day and every night where

Faith is our redeemer; our Savior is close.

We are born only when death becomes us
-the ring bearer to tie us to our great universal truth
-always living the catastrophic as we are persuaded to adjust to injustice
we accept the force and persuasion
as we turn to an envious rebirth and begin understanding what has already been here

“Հայ ենք մենք!”

We've come away from 1915 with our

promulgations flowing from our lips: Never Forget

-our outcries reaching borders unknown, and yet,

this is the never-ending duty of our kin, to never forget,

to never be satisfied with the work we've accomplished, and to

always take pride in our continuous strive toward freedom.

Գեղամ Մուղնեցյան: Հայրենի Մեղեդի

Gegham Mughnetsyan of Washington, D.C. won the 2014 "ARTHUR HALVAJIAN MEMORIAL" ARMENIAN POETRY COMPETITION for the 23+ category. Congratulations Gegham!

Դո՛ւ, քո երգի մեղեդու թեւով

Հոգուս խորքերը լցնում ես քեզնով,

Դո՛ւ, իմ հեռու տուն

Դո՛ւ ինձ կյանք տվող ավիշ ու արյուն:

Քո այդ մեղեդին պարուրում է ինձ

Ու ես իմ տատի գրկում եմ էլի

Ու ես իմ պապի հեքիաթն եմ լսում,

Մանուկ եմ նորից, ապրել եմ սկսում:

Ու ձայնն այս, հնչյունը հողիդ

Ստիպում է էլի երեխա դառնալ

Հորըս ձեռից բռնել,

Գյումրիով ման գալ:

Հետո հասկանալ որ օրերն հեռացան

Ու երեխա չեմ լինի էլ ես

Ու իմ Գյումրին

Հեռու է հիմա:

Ու քո մեղեդին սկսում է տանջել

Ու այդ երգը քո արցունք է դառնում

Չե՛մ ըմբոստանում ես այդ ցավի դեմ,

Հոգիս ծով դարձած ափերն է ծեծում:

Ժամանակը ռետինի նման

Ջնջել է փորձում հուշերս հերթով

Ու քո մեղեդին կարծես սպեղանի

Շշնջում է լուռ, «Ես քեզ չե՛մ թողնի»:

Բայց ես քեզ թողի ու հեռուն եկա

Ու հիմա հեռվից քեզ ձոն եմ հյուսում:

Ղարիբ աշուղ եմ կարծես թե դառել

Ու իմ սիրածին կարոտ մնացել:

Հետո փոխվում է մեղեդիդ մի պահ

Ու թեւերս կամաց վերև են ելնում

Ու աշխարհը կարծես թնդալ է ուզում,

տակնուվրա է անում երգդ զուլալ

Ես ու գիշերը սկսում ենք պար գալ:

Արյունը սկսում է եռալ

Սիրտս խփում է արագ ու արագ

Մեղեդիդ ու ես իրար ձուլված՝

Դառնում ենք կենդանի մի նվագ:

Դուդուկիդ տեղը զուռնեն է զնգում,

Քաջերդ են ելել, ուս ուսի տված

Ինձ թիկունք դառել

Աշխարհի դիմաց քեզ վեր են հանում

Մի ամբողջ ժողովուրդ իմ միջով պարում էր

Ու ես քո գալիք նորն էի

Ու քո մեղեդին իմ տոնն էր

Ու ամեն վայրկյան ես քոնն էի:

Հոկտեմբեր 17, 2014

Գեղամ Մուղնեցյան 

2014 "ARTHUR HALVAJIAN MEMORIAL" ARMENIAN POETRY COMPETITION WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Armenian Students' Association, Inc.

333 Atlantic Avenue

Warwick, Rhode Island 02888

Tel: (401) 461-6114

Web: www.asainc.org

E-mail: asa@asainc.org

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Contact: Nathalie Yaghoobian 

E-Mail: asa@asainc.org

2014 "ARTHUR HALVAJIAN MEMORIAL" ARMENIAN POETRY COMPETITION WINNERS ANNOUNCED

WARWICK, RI---The Armenian Students' Association, Inc. (ASA Inc.) congratulated Katia Khanlian, Emily Hagopian, and Gegham Mughnetsyan who were the winners of the 2014 "Arthur Halvajian Memorial" Armenian Poetry Competition. The competition was organized and sponsored by the ASA Inc. in partnership with the support of the Armenian Poetry Project. The competition ran from the autumn 2014 through the spring of 2015.

"Congratulations to the 2014 winners and thank you to those who helped make it possible by contributing to the organizing and selection committee's efforts," said Brian Assadourian, Chair of the ASA Inc. Board of Trustees.

Gegham Mughnetsyan of Washington, D.C. won the $250 prize in the 23+ age group for his entry, "Hayrenee Meghetee". New Jersey resident Emily Hagopian took home the $100 prize in the 18-22 age category for her entry, "Never Forget". Katia Khanlian, a student at the A&M Hovsepian School in Pasadena, CA garnered the $50 prize in the 12-17 age group for her entry, "To My Clueless Sister".

Receiving honorable mentions in the 12-17 age group included Vahe Demirdjian of California (for "Thirty Ticks") and Sipan Kouchian of California (for "Deep into Darkness").Yeva Aleksanyan of Colorado ("Hayreneekees"), Kevork Kalayjian of New Jersey ("Beedee"), and Anna Gharabaghtsyan of California ("Vakhi Maheh") all received honorable mentions in the 23+ age group.

The Armenian Poetry Project, led by Lola Koundakjian, is a research and documentation site of 19th to 21st Century Armenian poets and poetry. Tsoleen Sarian of Massachusetts, Christopher Janigian of Rhode Island, and Haig Hovsepian of Washington, D.C. rounded out the organizing and selection committee. Alice Movsesian, a member of the ASA Inc. Board of Trustees served as the liaison to the group.

You can learn more about the Armenian Poetry Project by visiting http://armenian-poetry.blogspot.com. Winning entries from the 2014 competition as well as those from previous years can be viewed online by visiting the "ASA-APP Poetry" section of the ASA Inc.'s website, www.asainc.org.

The Armenian Students' Association, Inc. encourages educational pursuits by Armenians in America and the raising of their intellectual standards, provides financial assistance in the form of scholarships to deserving Armenian students, develops fellowship among them, cultivates in them the spirit of service in the public interest, and acquaints them and the entire American community with Armenian culture.

ASA INC ANNOUNCES 2014 "ARTHUR HALVAJIAN MEMORIAL" ARMENIAN POETRY COMPETITION

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
Contact: Nathalie Yaghoobian
E-Mail: asa@asainc.org

ASA INC ANNOUNCES 2014 "ARTHUR HALVAJIAN MEMORIAL" ARMENIAN POETRY COMPETITION

WARWICK, RI---The Armenian Students Association, Inc. (ASA Inc.) announced the start of its 5th annual poetry competition. Once again, the ASA, Inc. is partnering with the Armenian Poetry Project for the writing competition which is named in honor of the late Arthur Halvajian, a former ASA, Inc. trustee who led the Board of Trustees in sponsoring the first competition. The 2014 competition opens December 1st and the deadline for submissions is March 1, 2015. Competition winners will be announced in April 2015.

"Over the past four years we have received hundreds of entries from across North America and continue to be impressed with the creativity, quality, and range of poems we receive. We look forward to reaching out to even more communities in the coming months," said Alice Movsesian, a member of the ASA, Inc. Board of Trustees as well as its liaison to the competition organizing committee.

The Armenian Poetry Project, led by Lola Koundakjian, is a research and documentation site of 19th to 21st Century Armenian poets and poetry. Whether it is through its website/blog, Facebook, or iTunes presence - which features podcasts of recited works - the Project brings together writers from all walks of life across the world.

All individuals of Armenian descent, residing in the United States and Canada are invited to submit their work, in English or Armenian for the competition. Entries should be e-mailed to ArmenianPoetryProject@gmail.com with the subject heading "Halvajian ASA/APP Poetry competition". Only one poem per individual may be submitted.

The competition groups submissions into three categories; students (ages 12-17), college age (ages 18-22), and adult (ages 23 and older). A top prize will be awarded for each of the categories in the amounts of US $50 (students), $100 (college age), and $250 (adult).

Each poem submitted for the competition must be accompanied by the author's full name, age, home address/telephone number, students must include school name, and sponsoring teacher's telephone number.

You can learn more about the Armenian Poetry Project by visiting http://armenian-poetry.blogspot.com.

The Armenian Students' Association of America, Inc. encourages educational pursuits by Armenians in America and the raising of their intellectual standards, provides financial assistance in the form of scholarships to deserving Armenian students, develops fellowship among them, cultivates in them the spirit of service in the public interest, and acquaints them and the entire American community with Armenian culture.