CAMPUS HONORS 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
El Vaquero, Glendale Community College, CA
April 2 2015
Jack Morello, Staff Writer
April 2, 2015
The board of trustees passed a resolution last September that
officially recognized April 2015 as a "Month of Commemoration of
the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915." A series of
events and lectures taking place on campus throughout the month will
commemorate the centennial of the genocide.
History and Political Science Professor Levon Marashlian was initially
approached by President David Viar to form a committee that would
implement the goals of the resolution. Marashlian invited Sarkis
Ghazarian, an academic counselor, and Osheen Keshishian, Extended
Opportunities Program and Services counselor, to meet with Viar about
the committee.
Marashlian, Ghazarian, and Keshishian got a head start on planning
the upcoming educational and cultural events. They also decided on
the different representatives to include from groups they believed
would adequately contribute to the cause.
The official committee now consists of Viar, Marashlian, Ghazarian
and Keshishian, who continue to be involved with the planning
and coordinating, as well as administrative assistant to Viar
Ani Keshishian, Board of Trustees member Armine Hacopian, English
professor Lara Kartalian, student affairs coordinator Tzoler Oukayan,
GCC's Armenian Students Association President Liza Hakobyan and Vice
President Teni Bazikyan. Hoover Zariani from the center for student
involvement and Simon Mirzaian from information technology services
are also in the committee.
By utilizing resources possessed by the students, faculty and staff
on campus, the committee is implementing various programs developed
specifically for the occasion in order to carry out the spirit of
the resolution.
Their plan is to "show that 100 years later, the Armenian people,
both here at Glendale College and around the world, are a thriving
community," said Ghazarian. "[Armenians] are involved in a whole range
of life's activities, whether it's social, economic, or political."
Bazikyan is looking forward to each of the events because they show
how far GCC has come in recognizing the genocide since she's been here.
"During the past few years, we'd normally have an event on the
Thursday before the 24th and only collaborate with ASGCC, but this
year we have month-long events where board members and the college
staff are involved," she said.
Ghazarian credits the extensive program to the resolution and said
that "without the board [of trustees], it would be hard to have the
campus behind you in order to do something like this."
During an interview in September, Osheen mentioned that there would
be one event per week for four weeks in April. The official list of
events, however, marks that the proceedings land on every Tuesday and
Thursday of April, with two in March and another that runs through
the first week of May.
The campus will be closed for Spring Break (April 11-16), therefore the
committee had to condense their plans into a three- week time period.
A link to the full schedule of events is on the home page of the
college website at www.glendale.edu/index.aspx?page=6945/
"One of the reasons why it's important to remember the Armenian
Genocide here at GCC is that it is a part of American history,"
Marashlian said. "We rarely see the topic in textbooks, mainly because
of political considerations, even though it was a big issue from
1915 to 1927, even though the US National Archives contain some of
the most important evidence, even though American Near East Relief
raised millions of dollars to save Armenians, even though the issue
has, and still does come up in discussions and debates at the highest
levels of American governing circles."
Marashlian will further discuss this issue during his April 9 lecture,
"History and Politics of the Armenian Genocide," in the auditorium.
http://elvaq.com/news/2015/04/02/camp-us-honors-100th-anniversary-of-armenian-genocide/
El Vaquero, Glendale Community College, CA
April 2 2015
Jack Morello, Staff Writer
April 2, 2015
The board of trustees passed a resolution last September that
officially recognized April 2015 as a "Month of Commemoration of
the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915." A series of
events and lectures taking place on campus throughout the month will
commemorate the centennial of the genocide.
History and Political Science Professor Levon Marashlian was initially
approached by President David Viar to form a committee that would
implement the goals of the resolution. Marashlian invited Sarkis
Ghazarian, an academic counselor, and Osheen Keshishian, Extended
Opportunities Program and Services counselor, to meet with Viar about
the committee.
Marashlian, Ghazarian, and Keshishian got a head start on planning
the upcoming educational and cultural events. They also decided on
the different representatives to include from groups they believed
would adequately contribute to the cause.
The official committee now consists of Viar, Marashlian, Ghazarian
and Keshishian, who continue to be involved with the planning
and coordinating, as well as administrative assistant to Viar
Ani Keshishian, Board of Trustees member Armine Hacopian, English
professor Lara Kartalian, student affairs coordinator Tzoler Oukayan,
GCC's Armenian Students Association President Liza Hakobyan and Vice
President Teni Bazikyan. Hoover Zariani from the center for student
involvement and Simon Mirzaian from information technology services
are also in the committee.
By utilizing resources possessed by the students, faculty and staff
on campus, the committee is implementing various programs developed
specifically for the occasion in order to carry out the spirit of
the resolution.
Their plan is to "show that 100 years later, the Armenian people,
both here at Glendale College and around the world, are a thriving
community," said Ghazarian. "[Armenians] are involved in a whole range
of life's activities, whether it's social, economic, or political."
Bazikyan is looking forward to each of the events because they show
how far GCC has come in recognizing the genocide since she's been here.
"During the past few years, we'd normally have an event on the
Thursday before the 24th and only collaborate with ASGCC, but this
year we have month-long events where board members and the college
staff are involved," she said.
Ghazarian credits the extensive program to the resolution and said
that "without the board [of trustees], it would be hard to have the
campus behind you in order to do something like this."
During an interview in September, Osheen mentioned that there would
be one event per week for four weeks in April. The official list of
events, however, marks that the proceedings land on every Tuesday and
Thursday of April, with two in March and another that runs through
the first week of May.
The campus will be closed for Spring Break (April 11-16), therefore the
committee had to condense their plans into a three- week time period.
A link to the full schedule of events is on the home page of the
college website at www.glendale.edu/index.aspx?page=6945/
"One of the reasons why it's important to remember the Armenian
Genocide here at GCC is that it is a part of American history,"
Marashlian said. "We rarely see the topic in textbooks, mainly because
of political considerations, even though it was a big issue from
1915 to 1927, even though the US National Archives contain some of
the most important evidence, even though American Near East Relief
raised millions of dollars to save Armenians, even though the issue
has, and still does come up in discussions and debates at the highest
levels of American governing circles."
Marashlian will further discuss this issue during his April 9 lecture,
"History and Politics of the Armenian Genocide," in the auditorium.
http://elvaq.com/news/2015/04/02/camp-us-honors-100th-anniversary-of-armenian-genocide/