Between fundraisers, discussions, presentations, and more, Armenian club, a group dedicated to connecting itself with Armenia’s culture and educating non- Armenians about the rich culture of the country, has got a lot going on.
If you walk into room E-7 on Tuesdays, you will see a group of passionate, innovative students eating, discussing, and creating future plans for the Armenian club. Both Armenians and non- Armenians, who simply want to learn about the country, work to plan events centered around the country and culture of Armenia, a country located on the southeast edge of Europe that has a long history that members want to educate about.
President and junior Raffi Samurkashian loves the atmosphere and the great discussion the club brings.
“We usually bring food and have fun talking about what we plan to do for events such as the heritage fair and club fair. We also raise awareness about our country by going in to present to freshmen classes about the genocide that occurred in Armenia, which is an event that is very important to all of us,” said Samurkashian.
Last year, on April 24, the anniversary of the Armenian genocide, the club set up a table at lunch and talked to students about the horrors that happened in Armenia.
Samurkashian said, “That day made me proud to be in the Armenian club. It was definitely very cool for the principal to come over and discuss the event with us. It is my favorite thing our club has done in my years at Carlmont.”
Aside from school-wide events, some members have higher goals that they think the club can achieve in the next years.
Sophomore Shant Narkizian said, “It is so cool that we talk about the country, its people, and its culture at our meetings. It very much connects me to the country. Something that has been brought up, and that I think would be amazing, is the possibility that we could do enough fundraising to visit Armenia as a club.”
The club’s advisor, social studies teacher Cryiakos Nichols, sees a lot of positive things come from all of the club members and their meetings.
“The club is very independent and has so many smart and creative members,” said Nichols. “Their meetings are very laid back and pleasant, and they do a great job in my freshmen classes teaching about the Armenian genocide.”
Whether it is making delicious food for heritage fair, or setting a goal to raise enough money to travel together, the Armenian club is thriving and is able to educate students while having a great time.
