Hye Sharzhoom Armenian Action
Tatevik Hovahnnisyan
Staff Writer
One of the greatest things about being a student at Fresno State is the diversity on campus; there is a wide range of cultures and ethnicities represented on campus. It is the combination of all these spirits that bring the campus to life.
One night in particular, “International Cultural Night,” has helped take this sense of diversity to the next level for the past twenty-eight years and has really educated the community about the different cultures. The Armenian Students Organization made its first appearance as part of “International Culture Night,” performing traditional Armenian songs and dances on Sunday, November 13.
Three aspects of Armenian culture were presented: song, musical instruments, and dance. The ASO representatives were very excited and honored to take part in this campus-wide event and they dedicated many hours to perfecting their performance, practicing four hours a week since the beginning of the semester. “We had a lot of fun practicing,” explained Andrew Esguerra. “We are trying to educate more people about the Armenian culture and this was a good way to do that.”
ASO’s performance began with Ruzan Orkusyan and Emma Shaljyan singing a beautiful song about the capital of Armenia, called “Im Yerevan” [My Armenia], written by noted composer Arno Babajanyan. “We chose to sing this song because it represents a more modern Armenia to us, ” Shalijyan explained. “And it was very entertaining.”
Michael Rettig performed next, playing “Laz Bar” on the traditional oud, a stringed instrument, followed by Aramais Orkusyan who played “Chachaneh Tsaghadzoreh” on the duduk, a flute-like instrument.
“It was important for me to show the Armenian culture to others, but more than that, it was a way of keeping the Armenian culture alive within myself,” Orkusyan stated.
Following their instrumental performance, ten ASO members performed two Armenian dances: the California Hop and the Kochari. Although both dances are Armenian, they represent different aspects of the culture. The first dance, the California Hop, is a more modern dance, created by immigrants to preserve the Armenian culture, while Kochari is one of the oldest dances of the Armenian people. Both dances showed the traditions of the Armenian people and their dedication to their culture.
At the conclusion of the evening, two representatives from each cultural group participated in a fashion show, modeling the traditional clothing of their culture. Lilit Grigoryan and Andrew Esguerra modeled the traditional dress of the Armenian people.
The students did a great job representing Armenian culture, and this was evident in the applause from the audience. The performance demonstrated the ASO’s passion for its culture and also helped ASO reach its goal of educating students about Armenian culture and traditions.