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Fresno hosts Armenian Studies Program's 2013 Fall Lecture Series
October 12, 2013 - 12:00 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - A Fresno State lecture series is putting Armenian
culture front and center, Fresno Bee reports.
The Armenian Studies Program's 2013 Fall Lecture Series kicked off
Sept 5 and already has covered the Armenians of Bitlis, the seizure of
Armenian property in Aintab, the state of Armenia today, American
Armenian contributions across the nation and the land mine-free
Artsakh campaign.
The lecture series is presented by Fresno State's Armenian Studies
Program and the Armenian Students Organization. The Armenian Studies
Program began in 1977.
The lectures are designed to provide an opportunity for students and
faculty members to interact with each other and the community over
topics that promote Armenian cultural awareness.
"It's been a forum to bring people together," says Barlow Der
Mugrdechian, coordinator of the Armenian Studies Program and director
of the Center for Armenian Studies. "There are a variety of topics -
history, art, film festivals. We do so many things to draw people in.
The topics are ways of approaching things that we can't always do in
the classroom."
As part of the series, a new book, "David of Sassoun: Critical Studies
on the Armenian Epic," is being released this month. Der Mugrdechian
co-edited the book, which was printed through the Armenian Series of
The Press at Fresno State. The Armenian Series is a cooperative effort
between the Armenian Studies Program and the College of Arts and
Humanities.
Der Mugrdechian created the book jacket, which comes from a photo of
the David of Sassoun statue at Courthouse Park in downtown Fresno. He
plans to talk about the book as part of the lecture series in late
November. He is also working on a series talk in early November. On
Sept 27, he talked about a recent visit to Armenia.
The lecture series received a boost last year through a $10,000 grant
by the Leon S. Peters Foundation. The Armenian Studies Program has a
fundraising drive planned in the fall, with this year's goal $50,000.
The lectures and other activities have received strong community
support over the years, Der Mugrdechian says. Between 50,000 and
60,000 Armenians live in the central San Joaquin Valley. Arnold
Gazarian, who supports Armenian programs at Fresno State as well as
other university departments, says the lecture series has an important
role.
"Historically, the Armenian community has played a great part in the
greater Fresno community, yet its culture is not really well-known by
so many of the citizens of Fresno," he says. "We've had so many new
people move into the area in the last couple of decades. So the
culture has been diluted. This is one way of bringing it to the
forefront again. It has been successful; it is flowing at the
university. The success also has proven with non-Armenian students in
the studies. This program would not have been successful had it not
had the backing of the community and people putting in the time and
effort and throwing money into it."
Armenian student leaders at Fresno State say they are gaining a better
understanding of Armenian culture by attending the lectures.
Vartush Mesropyan, a senior who is majoring in psychology and serving
as president of the Armenian Students Organization, says she felt a
sense of pride at Stepan Partamian's lecture Oct. 3 on "American
Armenian Contributions to Humanity After the Armenian Genocide and the
Armenian World: A Photographic Journey."
Partamian, author of the book, "Yes, We Have," and a founder of the
Armenian Art Fund in Los Angeles, included a photo presentation
showing how American Armenians have left their marks in many regions
of the United States.
"It can be a tree, a building, a church, anything, and a lot of people
don't know that Armenians are there," Mesropyan says, according to
Fresno Bee. "I was actually getting butterflies. I thought, 'This is
wonderful.' It just felt great, wonderful to be there."
On Oct 8, Galinda Danilova talked on "Landmine Free Artsakh Awareness
Campaign," focusing on how the war in 1992-94 between the Armenians of
Karabakh and Azerbaijan left behind hundreds of mine fields. Danilova
works for the Halo Trust, the world's largest humanitarian land mine
clearance organization.
Marine Vardanyan, a junior majoring in public health and serving as
vice president of the Armenian Students Organization, says she was
emotionally touched at the lecture as she learned how lives have been
altered through the de-mining process in Karabakh.
"We saw images of those who have been injured - and it was emotional,"
Vardanyan says. "I love the lecture series so much because it involves
not only the students, but also the community. Everyone comes out. We
would not have an opportunity to hear these speakers if it weren't for
the program. As long as it brings Armenians together, there will be
Armenians there. We are very supportive of each other. We value our
attempts to preserve the Armenian culture."
http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/171182/
October 12, 2013 - 12:00 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - A Fresno State lecture series is putting Armenian
culture front and center, Fresno Bee reports.
The Armenian Studies Program's 2013 Fall Lecture Series kicked off
Sept 5 and already has covered the Armenians of Bitlis, the seizure of
Armenian property in Aintab, the state of Armenia today, American
Armenian contributions across the nation and the land mine-free
Artsakh campaign.
The lecture series is presented by Fresno State's Armenian Studies
Program and the Armenian Students Organization. The Armenian Studies
Program began in 1977.
The lectures are designed to provide an opportunity for students and
faculty members to interact with each other and the community over
topics that promote Armenian cultural awareness.
"It's been a forum to bring people together," says Barlow Der
Mugrdechian, coordinator of the Armenian Studies Program and director
of the Center for Armenian Studies. "There are a variety of topics -
history, art, film festivals. We do so many things to draw people in.
The topics are ways of approaching things that we can't always do in
the classroom."
As part of the series, a new book, "David of Sassoun: Critical Studies
on the Armenian Epic," is being released this month. Der Mugrdechian
co-edited the book, which was printed through the Armenian Series of
The Press at Fresno State. The Armenian Series is a cooperative effort
between the Armenian Studies Program and the College of Arts and
Humanities.
Der Mugrdechian created the book jacket, which comes from a photo of
the David of Sassoun statue at Courthouse Park in downtown Fresno. He
plans to talk about the book as part of the lecture series in late
November. He is also working on a series talk in early November. On
Sept 27, he talked about a recent visit to Armenia.
The lecture series received a boost last year through a $10,000 grant
by the Leon S. Peters Foundation. The Armenian Studies Program has a
fundraising drive planned in the fall, with this year's goal $50,000.
The lectures and other activities have received strong community
support over the years, Der Mugrdechian says. Between 50,000 and
60,000 Armenians live in the central San Joaquin Valley. Arnold
Gazarian, who supports Armenian programs at Fresno State as well as
other university departments, says the lecture series has an important
role.
"Historically, the Armenian community has played a great part in the
greater Fresno community, yet its culture is not really well-known by
so many of the citizens of Fresno," he says. "We've had so many new
people move into the area in the last couple of decades. So the
culture has been diluted. This is one way of bringing it to the
forefront again. It has been successful; it is flowing at the
university. The success also has proven with non-Armenian students in
the studies. This program would not have been successful had it not
had the backing of the community and people putting in the time and
effort and throwing money into it."
Armenian student leaders at Fresno State say they are gaining a better
understanding of Armenian culture by attending the lectures.
Vartush Mesropyan, a senior who is majoring in psychology and serving
as president of the Armenian Students Organization, says she felt a
sense of pride at Stepan Partamian's lecture Oct. 3 on "American
Armenian Contributions to Humanity After the Armenian Genocide and the
Armenian World: A Photographic Journey."
Partamian, author of the book, "Yes, We Have," and a founder of the
Armenian Art Fund in Los Angeles, included a photo presentation
showing how American Armenians have left their marks in many regions
of the United States.
"It can be a tree, a building, a church, anything, and a lot of people
don't know that Armenians are there," Mesropyan says, according to
Fresno Bee. "I was actually getting butterflies. I thought, 'This is
wonderful.' It just felt great, wonderful to be there."
On Oct 8, Galinda Danilova talked on "Landmine Free Artsakh Awareness
Campaign," focusing on how the war in 1992-94 between the Armenians of
Karabakh and Azerbaijan left behind hundreds of mine fields. Danilova
works for the Halo Trust, the world's largest humanitarian land mine
clearance organization.
Marine Vardanyan, a junior majoring in public health and serving as
vice president of the Armenian Students Organization, says she was
emotionally touched at the lecture as she learned how lives have been
altered through the de-mining process in Karabakh.
"We saw images of those who have been injured - and it was emotional,"
Vardanyan says. "I love the lecture series so much because it involves
not only the students, but also the community. Everyone comes out. We
would not have an opportunity to hear these speakers if it weren't for
the program. As long as it brings Armenians together, there will be
Armenians there. We are very supportive of each other. We value our
attempts to preserve the Armenian culture."
http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/171182/