Publications Club

      Movies By: Sebou Ourfalian        Movies have been a major aspect of the entertainment industry for decades. For years, directors have developed, recorded, and produced many films of several genres. Although at times the outcome of the movie may not meet one’s expectations, individuals continue to view new films. In these past few months, the box-offices have released many major hits, and of the several movies, these three are ones you definitely have to watch.             Of the three movies, the one with the most success in the box office was Stephen King’s It. The movie, released in early September, earned a worldwide income of about $327 million. It takes place in the small, quaint town of Derry, Maine and revolves around a small group of kids who refer to themselves as the Loser’s Club. Though the town is quiet, odd occurrences have been taking place for years and ev...

ANCA Grassroots Conference By: Soseh Hovasapian Excited about the panels being presented, I eagerly awoke early in the morning to attend the 2017 ANCA Grassroots Conference. The doors opened at 8:00 A.M., and the convention started off with the “ANCA ON THE MOVE: The Power of Grassroots” panel, featuring Raffi Hamparian, Nora Hovsepian, and Stephen Mesrobian. Mr. Hamparian, Chair of ANCA, spoke about the three signatures of the organization–its grassroots nature, the serious issues that are dealt with through the organization, and its active role in the community. The ANCA’s “կամաւոր բանակ” is what makes up the organization itself. Secondly, ANCA is funded by a multitude of sources, none of which control it. Finally, the organization deals with serious present-day issues that have a powerful impact in the world we live in. With programs like the Leo Sarkissian, Capital Gateway Program, the ANCA invests in the bright minds of the future. And with projects like Artsakh resolution b...

JSA Fall State Convention By: Soseh Hovasapian The SoCal Junior States of America Fall State convention was a success this weekend! The convention began with us learning about types of debates and how to moderate. With nine other sets of debates, a diverse collection of topics were presented, ranging from college letters of recommendation to pulling out troops from Afghanistan. Pilibos attended Fall State with the largest delegation, and our speakers earned a total of thirteen “Best Speaker” gavels, with some having earned multiple awards. Personally, my favorite debates were “Thought Talk: Reverse Racism,” “Sexism in the Tech Industry,” and, of course, “Armenian Debate: սփիւռքային տուրք.” During the thought talk, different ideas about reverse racism were expressed. I was one of the speakers that thought bullying is not oppression, therefore it is not racism of any kind. Kami Arabian was the main speaker for the Pro side of the “Sexism in the Tech Industry” Debate, where he tal...

Harvest Fair 2017 By: Aelita Arshakyan     The Pilibos Annual Harvest Fair, organized by the PSC, took place on Friday, October 27th from 2:30 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. The event was a fun-filled night featuring various rides, games, food, and snacks. Games, rides, and activities included a watermelon eating contest, jumpers, a haunted maze, pumpkin decorating, and face painting. Such a successful event would not be possible without the help of Mrs. Hanan Karabetian and Gayane Agazaryan, two of the event’s chairs who planned the fair. “The opportunity to co-chair the Harvest fair with Gayane this year was a huge privilege. The success of the event depended on many factors: proper advanced planning, powerful teamwork, and dedicated volunteers. That thrill on the children’s faces made my heart dance with joy!” says Mrs. Karabetian.     Mrs. Agazaryan adds that, “We maintained the ideas of many years of planning by prior members and added new ones such as the...

Volleyball Season 2017-2018 By: Soseh Hovasapian With a win to loss ratio of four to seven, the Varsity volleyball team is having a fairly pleasant season. They started off with a new coach, which proved to be a positive adjustment, and ended up having a triumphant effect on the team. According to Nareh Aghakhanian,  “Coach Armine is a great coach, and she has been an inspiration to us all.” With a few rough patches down the road, they managed to improve game after game. After asking a few of the players how they felt about certain things, it is very clear that the bond these players share is unbreakable. Most of them admitted that their attitudes make a huge difference on the result of the game, and the one weakness they have is lack of communication on the court. By managing practices and games with schoolwork, they challenge themselves on a mental and physical level, allowing themselves to become better scholar-athletes. “I feel like each win and loss makes us become closer...