News

Staff Report The Armenian Studies Program awarded scholarships to fifty students from thirty-four different endowment or scholarship funds for a total of $88,000 for the academic year 2021-2022. In addition to providing needed financial support, the scholarships encourage students to pursue Minors in Armenian Studies and to enroll in the various course offerings. We ask our students and our supporters ...

Staff Report The Armenian Students Organization (ASO) held a vigil on Friday, April 22, at the Armenian Genocide Monument on the Fresno State campus. The vigil was to honor the memories of the martyrs lost in the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Somber duduk music greeted students and guests as they gathered by the Monument. ASO President Michael Mazman and executive ...

Staff Report Mark and Debbie Adishian-Astone have established a $25,000 Endowed Scholarship in Armenian Studies at Fresno State in honor of Debbie Adishian-Astone’s parents, George and Shenora (Kirishian) Adishian. “We are honored to be able to establish this scholarship to support Fresno State students and the Armenian Studies Program. Establishing an endowed scholarship ensures that the scholarship is sustainable for ...

Christine Pambukyan Staff Writer “We should remember that genocide is, first of all, a man-made event, and genocide is something that people initiate. These are human beings who kill human beings,” emphasized Dr. Suren Manukyan, Kazan Visiting Professor of Armenian Studies in Fall 2021 and head of the UNESCO chair on the Prevention of Genocide and other Atrocity Crimes at ...

Staff Report The Thomas A. Kooyumjian Family Foundation has made two significant donations in 2022 to benefit the Armenian Studies Program and to enhance the Kooyumjian Endowed Scholar Fund at Fresno State. The Kooyumjian Family Foundation donated $15,000 to the Armenian Studies Program to support special projects, including sponsorship of the “Komitas Trio” concert and an international conference. The Kooyumjian ...

Fresno State News “What inspires me is that we are making a difference in the lives of our students now and for generations to come,” says Deborah Adishian-Astone, the vice president for administration and chief financial officer at Fresno State. Growing up, Adishian-Astone’s family always emphasized the importance of education. She decided she wanted to get her degree from Fresno ...

Michael Mazman Staff Writer On Wednesday, December 22, 2021, the Armenian Students Organization held its biggest fundraiser of the year, the ASO “Christmas Ball.” On this night, members of the Armenian community from all over the Central Valley gathered at Pilgrim Armenian Congregational Church to enjoy a full dinner, catered by Ararat Market and Grill. Guests had the pleasure of ...

Christine Pambukyan Staff Writer “My objective wasn’t then just simply to provide more translations of an Armenian writer’s work. I had two ideas in mind. One was to try to reorient Armenian cultural and social concentrations, especially in Armenian-Turkish history and the other was to introduce a new and kind of coherent way of producing translations from Armenian literature,” explained ...

Sara Beberian Staff Writer We often forget how important words are. Our choice of words and the way we use certain words can greatly influence the impact our story has on others. How does one begin to describe a genocide? A completely traumatic event that tears apart homes, families, and everything that is familiar… if the word “genocide” does not ...

Carina Tokatian Staff Writer Walking into “Kef Time Fresno” felt like entering any Armenian’s nirvana. There was lavish food, spirited conversations, lively laughter, warm hugs, and smiling faces everywhere. Most of all, there was the lively group of dancers and musicians—the stars of the evening—who offered any spectator a taste of sublimity. “Kef Time Fresno” was held on the evening ...