Armenian Students Organization Commemorates April 24-Armenian Genocide in Free Speech Area

Hagop Ohanessian
Staff Writer

The Arax Dancers performed two dances, "Moush," and "Adana, dedicated to the memory of the Armenian Genocide — The Arax Dancers performed two dances, “Moush,” and “Adana, dedicated to the memory of the Armenian Genocide

Friday, April 24, marked the 94th commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, and Armenians all over the world came together to remember the past, even as students of Fresno State’s Armenian Students Organization (ASO) held their own commemorative event. Students from Fresno State, both Armenian and non-Armenian, and members of the community, came together in the Free Speech area, not only to remember and reflect on the past, but to look at the future. During the week, the ASO distributed flyers and brochures about the Armenian Genocide in order to bring awareness on campus. The Armenian Genocide, which began on April 24, 1915, lasted up to 1923 and it is estimated that more than 1.5 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire were killed in their historic homeland.

During the commemorative ceremony, photographs, and posters about the Armenian Genocide were placed around the Free Speech area and a replica of the Armenian Martyrs Monument which is in Yerevan, Armenia, was placed in front of the speaker’s platform. With the sound of the duduk playing in the background, people gathered around the Free Speech area at noon.

Some of the students and guests on April 24th.

This year the ASO and the Armenian Studies Program invited the Arax Armenian dancers ofFresno to perform two dances dedicated to the genocide, “Moush,” and “Adana.” The dance ensemble consisting of Arevik Stepanyan, Flora Mirijanian, Ani Mirijanian, Faten Myaznih, Michael Rettig, Kevork Gevorkian, and leader Zaroohi Der Mugrdechian, wore traditional Armenian costumes. They performed elegantly and every member in the audience applauded for their fantastic performance.

Students from the Keyan Armenian Community School of Fresno recited poetry in Armenian that had themes of Armenian culture and identity.

Armenian Studies Program Director Barlow Der Mugrdechian presented a historical overview of the Genocide, while Hagop Ohanessian, Vice-President of the ASO recounted two survivor testimonies about the terrible events perpetrated by Turkish generals.

Students of the Keyan School on April 24th

At the conclusion of the commemoration, those in attendance placed flowers at the base of the Martyrs Monument.

At 7:30PM on Thursday, April 23, the ASO and the Armenian Studies Program invited students and members of the community to a screening of the movie “Screamers.” In the film, director Carla Garapedian follows the rock band “System of a Down” as they tour Europe and the U.S., pointing out the horrors of modern genocide that began with the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in 1915, up though Darfur today. Following the movie, there was a march and a candle light vigil to the Martyrs Monument in the Free Speech area.

Fresno State’s Collegian covered the Genocide commemorative events with a full front-page cover in the Monday, April 27, issue of the newspaper. See the article at http:collegian.csufresno.edu/ 2009/04/27/a-day-of-remembrance/.

The ASO thanks everyone for their support in the Commemoration of the 94th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.