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Homenetmen Eastern Region U.S. scouts participate in the 13th Pan-Homenetmen...
After nearly a year of preparation, excitement and anticipation, East Coast scouts finally arrived at their destination this summer — Armenia. Following three preparation seminars throughout the year,...
View ArticleIn darkness, Armenia reminds us of light
For centuries, Armenians have faced numerous hardships and challenges that have affected their culture, country and way of life. One of the most devastating occurred in 1915, when roughly 1.5 million...
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Finding family in an engineering internship
This summer, I worked at Geocosmos, a satellite photography company in Yerevan. I am a sophomore studying aerospace engineering at the University of Illinois, and most of what I know about engineering...
View ArticleFuel the fire — all roads lead to Jersey
For generations, the AYF Olympic Games have been a destination. The finish line at the end of a glorious summer spent at AYF Camp Haiastan or a fruitful one spent in Armenia on the AYF Internship. A...
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This one’s for the counselors
I will tell anyone who will listen about the tragedy of my youth: never having gone to Camp Haiastan — not as a camper, not as a CIT and not as a counselor either. It’s a part of my childhood that...
View ArticlePreserving identity, keeping the cause alive
Editor’s note: This speech was delivered on behalf of the ARF Eastern U.S. Central Committee during the opening ceremony of the 2026 AYF Olympics in New Jersey. On behalf of the Armenian Revolutionary...
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The day after: AYF Olympics denouement
I went to the 1969 AYF Olympics in Providence. Labor Day was September 1 that year. If I were writing for the Armenian Weekly back then, I would have been writing this piece on Tuesday, September 2,...
View ArticleNew Jersey AYF Olympics summary results 2026
We hope you have been following the events of the 92nd AYF Olympics in New Jersey this Labor Day weekend with Mark Gavoor’s daily recap articles. Following is a summary of the results from the games....
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Sunday at the AYF Olympics
Sunday has always been the heart and soul of the AYF Olympics. It begins with Track and Field and ends with the Olympic Ball. The Olympics began as a one-day Athletic Festival, with Track and Field as...
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Saturday at the AYF Olympics
Every day is special at the AYF Olympics and has its own vibe. Saturday’s vibe is particularly popular, combining the Softball Tournament with an old-fashioned Armenian picnic, followed in the evening...
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Friday at the AYF Olympics
It was another hectic Friday at the AYF Olympics. Golf and tennis began first thing in the morning and continued until mid-afternoon. Swimming commenced in the late afternoon, followed by the Friday...
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Thursday at the AYF Olympics
We were up early, ready and eager to get to the AYF Olympics in New Jersey. Despite a three-hour flight delay, we finally got to Newark and made it to the Glenpointe Marriott at 5:30 p.m. As is my...
View ArticleAYF Olympics analytics project goes live
The AYF-YOARF Central Executive is proud to announce the official public launch of the AYF Olympics Analytics Project, the first time in the organization’s history that decades of AYF Olympics results...
View ArticleThe Wednesday before the AYF Olympics
We are leaving for the AYF Olympics tomorrow. We are headed for New Jersey, and I am taking a break from packing to write the first of my daily articles for the Armenian Weekly. This is my 12th year...
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New Jersey gears up for 92nd AYF Olympics
The Armenian Youth Federation Olympic Games are heading to New Jersey this Labor Day weekend, bringing athletes, alumni, families and supporters together for the 92nd edition of one of the Armenian...
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Camp friends become family
My Camp Haiastan story began in the summer of 1989, during Session II. I was 7 years old, and I went with my older cousin, Talyn. To understand how completely unprepared I was for camp, you have to...
View ArticleProvidence Homenetmen scouts’ effort extends beyond jamboree in Armenia
Eleven Homenetmen scouts from the Providence chapter took part in the 13th Pan-Homenetmen Scouting Jamboree from July 24 to Aug. 2 in Byurakan, Armenia, joining 900 scouts from 23 countries and 26...
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More than a summer camp: Celebrating 75 years of Camp Haiastan
Cabinmates and camp friends for more than 45 years, Veh Bezdikian, Josh Tevekelian, Shahan Avedian and Shant Saroukhanian reunited in front of the Camp Haiastan sign in 2025. Picture it: 1988. I am a...
View ArticleAYF interns visit Syunik: A two-day travel diary
Day 1 Our first overnight trip of the 2026 AYF Internship was to Syunik, the southernmost province of Armenia. We did not have many expectations for the trip beyond seeing mountains and visiting...
View ArticleMore than POWs
“Calling for the release of the former [Nagorno-]Karabakh leaders is the same thing, even worse. Their crimes are worse than what the Nazis did during World War II.” — Azerbaijani President Ilham...
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