MEI graduates criticize AGBU NY re closure

The graduation ceremony held at the Melkonian on June 12, 2004 turned into an AGBU Central Board bashing event as graduates joined forces with the Chairman of the Committee and members of the faculty to strongly criticize the decision of the AGBU Central Board to close the school in 2005.

The graduation event was also marked by the absence of School Principal Annie Lachinian-Magarian, who citing a sudden illness decided to ditch the ceremony while as a result of the early departure of the bulk of the students, the number of participants was low compared to other years.

Melkonian Board Chairman Sarkis Buchakchian in his long and boring address in poor English attempted to justify his position unleashing a strong attack on the AGBU Central Board members for deciding to close the school. Unfortunately, he did not say what practical measures he had taken to block such a plan, or state why over the years he allowed the financial budget to get out of hand. He did not state why if he was so disgusted at the action of the CB, he did not tender in his resignation.

The 2003/2004 graduating class on the other hand saved the whole event by delivering well prepared speeches in Armenian, English and Greek on why their school should remain open. After thanking the AGBU for maintaining the school during the six years that they were at the Melkonian, the graduating class called on the AGBU Central Board members to reconsider their decision and allow more students to continue their studies at the school.

Their passionate calls to save the Melkonian were echoed by Garabed Dakessian who managed to deliver a superb speech condemning the decision of the Central Board, and also calling on the Committee members to listen to various proposals made towards saving the school.

In his farewell speech to the graduating class, Dakessian admitted that he was in no position to give them advise, since they (graduating class) and all the students had shown a remarkable behaviour and maturity in the way they reacted to the Melkonian closure news.

Gordon Anderson, AGBU’s Global Representatives and his assistants were also absent from the ceremony, since having completed their mission to destroy the Melkonian, they were sitting at their homes enjoying the hundreds of thousands of dollars in fee income that they collected from the Central Board at the expense of needy Armenian students who are denied their fundamental right to continue their education.

The majority of the 32 graduating class of 2003/2004 plan to continue their education at universities in the US/UK and other western countries, a development which in the opinion of AGBU President Berge Setrakian means they are going against the ‘mission’ of the Melkonian, since he had previously complained that the Melkonian is facilitating the brain-drain from the region to America.

Report filed by Shavasb Bohdjalian

Chairman of the Cyprus Alumni and proud parent of one of the graduates of the class of 2003/04