EVENTS RECALL GENOCIDE CLUB PAYS TRIBUTE TO SLAIN ARMENIANS.

Byline: Daily News

Students at Glendale High School will commemorate the 85th anniversary of the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians today with an assembly organized by the school Armenian Club.

The Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena area has the largest concentration of people of Armenian descent living outside Armenia, and events marking the Armenian genocide are traditionally held in the third week of April. The students have scheduled an hour-long program in the school auditorium that will include performances of traditional Armenian music and dance by Glendale High School students.

``We must always remember the first genocide of the 20th century, the Armenian genocide of 1915 to 1923,'' said state Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, who will speak at the 9 a.m. assembly. ``It cannot be allowed to become the so-called 'Forgotten genocide,' '' he said in a statement announcing that he has co-authored a Senate concurrent resolution designating April 24, 2000, as the California Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide.

The Armenian genocide has been part of the world history curriculum for 10th-grade students in California since 1985, and a year ago state education officials added it to the required content standards for teaching World War I. Armenians were slain by Turkish armies serving the Ottoman Empire or starved to death when they were deported to Syria.

Schiff said he applauds the Glendale High School Armenian Club for organizing the commemoration.

Other events include:

--A requiem beginning at 9 a.m. in the Hall of Liberty, Forest Hills Memorial-Park, Hollywood Hills.

--A memorial Mass at 11 a.m. at the Armenian Apostolic Church, 500 S. Central Ave., Glendale.

--A memorial service at 3 p.m. in Bicknell Park, 850 Via San Clemente, Montebello.