Pascack Hills English teacher Vani Apanosian is scheduled to speak at a virtual seminar hosted by Montclair State University on Feb. 11. The seminar is hosted by a student-run organization called the Musicians for Social Justice whose focus is raising awareness of the injustices that marginalized groups face and doing so through music and art culture.

Apanosian was first recognized by one of her professors when she was taking graduate classes last year, with several other PVRHSD faculty members, working towards a certification in Holocaust and Genocide studies.

“I had presented a similar presentation on the Armenian Genocide in this class, and it resonated with her so much so that she recommended me to their student board. Since the mission of the board was to reach out to less represented groups, it was a good fit,” Apanosian explained. “I met with the board a few weeks later and gave a summary of my background and knowledge, and they secured a date for the presentation.”

She was selected as the sole speaker for the presentation as the MSJ’s first Armenian woman to present about the Armenian people as one of the many marginalized groups in society.

“[Musicians for Social Justice has] held many workshops that focus on a particular marginalized group, but they were looking to expand and reach out to people who come from groups that are less represented,” Apanosian continued. “That’s where I came in. I am presenting a workshop on the social injustices done to the Armenian people, specifically referring to the Armenian Genocide, and how the arts are used as a form of cultural preservation, storytelling, and activism.”

The virtual audience will be Montclair State students aspiring to pursue art and music education degrees in order to become teachers.

“I hope that my presentation will inspire them to be open to talk about culture and identity even when it can be uncomfortable. As teachers, we have a responsibility to teach the good and bad in order to produce socially conscious citizens and human beings,” Apanosian said.

The subjects of music and art have an impactful influence in culture because of a creator’s ability to use their own vision and expression to convey an issue or feeling they are passionate about.

Apanosian shared that “art and music certainly [have] that effect, and while it’s impossible to cover everything in a year, I hope this presentation will inspire them to therefore carefully plan.”

Apanosian has been preparing for the hour-long presentation for about the last two months, but said that the note-taking and research aspect of preparation has been simple so far because of her background knowledge on the topic.

“I think the most stressful part is my own mind, because I want to make sure it is absolutely perfect. For some of these students, I will be the first Armenian they will have interacted with, or it will be their first time hearing about my people and history,” Apanosian said. “No pressure, right?”

While she aims to raise awareness about injustice that is faced by a specific marginalized group, she also hopes to inspire and encourage a group of rising young teachers to use their passions to make a difference.

“I think the main point I want to drive home is to teach with passion; the key is to model your own passion for your subject, because that is what will spark interest and discussion for your students. You will not [be able to] cover everything, but if something really matters to you, it speaks to people which inherently inspire others,” she said.

When Apanosian delivers her presentation in the upcoming weeks, she wants students to understand the value of using personal passion as a motivator for teaching.

“We don’t always know our students as well as we think we do, so we don’t know how our teachings will affect them. I think as long as you teach with passion, it will inspire students to find their own.”

For those who are interested in attending the event, please fill out this google form.