On December 7 and 8, Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Junior members in the Midwest district gathered in Chicago for Midwest Armenian Cultural and Educational (ACE) Weekend and Junior Conferences. The weekend was hosted by the Chicago “Ararat” Chapter.
ACE Weekend is an annual event where Juniors in their respective districts meet to engage in a variety of topics surrounding Armenian culture. This year’s educational program covered topics such as music, dance and art.
The day started with a lecture from Mark Gavoor, who discussed the history of Armenian music. The Juniors were immersed in a variety of genres and learned how Armenian music has varied over time.
Afterwards, the Juniors were treated to lunch and had the opportunity to connect with members from other chapters, catching up with friends they had not seen in several months.
The day continued with the second lecture from Maral Dadourian, discussing the history of Armenian dance. The Juniors had the opportunity to physically learn the dances, as well.
Afterwards, the Junior Conferences portion of the day kicked off, where Juniors discussed how they felt their respective chapters and region performed during the past year. Raffi Sarrafian of the AYF Eastern Region Central Junior Council guided the Juniors in drafting a wide range of resolutions to better their local chapters, district and region as a whole.
To conclude, the Juniors were treated to a Christmas tree lighting ceremony held by the local church, then continued bonding by playing interactive games and watching a movie. The following morning, the Juniors said their goodbyes – eager to use what they learned over the weekend as a springboard to a great 2025.
Following are what some of the AYF Juniors had to say about ACE Weekend and Junior Conferences.
“My favorite part of ACE was Junior Conferences and hearing new ideas from members across the district. Something I took away was the importance of everyone’s opinions and the importance of coming together and making sure our opinions are heard.” — Mourad Bagdasarian, Detroit “Kopernik Tandourjian” Chapter
“My favorite part of ACE was the educational lectures, specifically the one about Armenian dance and music. During ACE and Junior Conferences, I learned about the importance of hearing other people’s perspectives and opinions, and overall, being more open-minded to new and different ideas.” — Lori Baldemian, Detroit “Kopernik Tandourjian” Chapter
“My favorite part was learning about Armenian music and learning Armenian dances. I also learned about Armenian musicians, which was really cool, and I look forward to listening to their music and other Armenian music in the future.” — Meela Basmajian, Detroit “Kopernik Tandourjian” Chapter
“I enjoyed being Sergeant of Arms during Junior Conferences and enjoyed the dance lecture and activity. I also learned a lot about Armenian music and how enjoyable it is to listen to.” — Christian Kindt, Chicago “Ararat” Chapter
“My favorite part of ACE was learning Armenian dances and the history of Armenian music. I was also able to see how the AYF operates and learn new Armenian dances.” — Nico Liston, Racine “Armen Garo” Chapter
“My favorite part was meeting new people, engaging in lectures and learning about my heritage. I also had the opportunity to learn about the history of Armenian dances, Armenian music and Armenian musicians.” — Karineh Manoogian, Detroit “Kopernik Tandourjian” Chapter
“My favorite part was that everyone from the district got to come together to better the AYF. At ACE and Junior Conferences, I got to learn about the history of Armenian songs, where they come from, and about Armenian dance, such as where the dances originate from, when the dances are performed and why we do them.” — Natalie Manoogian, Detroit “Kopernik Tandourjian” Chapter
“My favorite part was meeting a lot of new people from other chapters. Something I took away from the weekend was how structured and organized the AYF is.” — Zabelle Mastropietro, Detroit “Kopernik Tandourjian” Chapter
“I liked everything about ACE. It was really fun and I wish it never ended. By going to ACE and Junior Conferences, I was able to learn more about how the AYF operates, specifically, convention.” — Masis Mikaelian-Flynn, Racine “Armen Garo” Chapter
“My favorite part of ACE was hanging out with my fellow ungers and ungerouhis from other chapters. One thing I took away from ACE and Junior Conferences was the process of drafting and passing resolutions.” — Eli Vartanian, Chicago “Ararat” Chapter
AYF Chicago "Ararat" Chapter
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