Hye Sharzhoom Armenian Action
Marine Vardanyan
Staff Writer
Did you know that the Fresno State Armenian Studies Program has its own website? An important component of the College of Arts and Humanities, the Armenian Studies Program (ASP) brings education, cultural enlightenment, and unity to the students of Fresno State and to the Armenian community.
Along with participating in the ASP sponsored events and activities, one also has the opportunity to visit and explore the Armenian Studies Program website, which some may not have known even existed. The recently redesigned website can be found by visiting http://www.fresnostate.edu/artshum/armenianstudies.
The new design of the website offers several useful features. Take some time to go through the home page, and you will come across interesting discoveries about the Armenian Studies Program.
For example, did you know that through the ASP webpage that you can access the Hye Sharzhoom archives and read articles from all the way back to 1995? You can find information on the Armenian Students Organization, learn more about the Kazan Visiting Professorship, and find answers to frequently asked questions, such as those regarding scholarships or Armenian Studies courses.
The websites also gives you access to the following resources: the “Arts of Armenia,” full of educational information and 300 images of Armenian art, ranging from details on miniatures to architecture; “Churches of Historic Armenia,” a breathtaking exhibition of 157 photographs of historic Armenian churches, including those in Aghtamar and Ani (donated by Mr. and Mrs. Richard and Anne Elbrecht); the “Index of Armenian Art,” a database of Armenian manuscript illuminations; a list of publications by the Armenian Studies faculty; and information on grants and managed projects taking place in Armenia.
The section that I liked the most is the “Churches of Historic Armenia,” which gives you a sense of the scope of Armenian churches built in Historic Armenia. The images open the viewer’s eyes to what the Armenian people have lost and how our presence remains evident until today.
One new and exciting addition to the website are YouTube videos of Armenian Studies Program lectures. Fresno State alumnus Sevag Tateosian, the man behind the camera, donates his time and skills to record the various Armenian Studies Program lectures, which are then uploaded onto YouTube and added to the ASP website. Now, those who miss an Armenian Studies Program lecture or who are unable to attend, can access the lectures online.
With assistance from the Community Media Access Collaborative (CMAC), Tateosian is helping the Armenian Studies Program and the Armenian community by making the valuable information available to everyone, regardless of where they live. “We, as Armenians, need to do more to make our story known. It is everyone’s obligation,” said Tateosian. CMAC is a local, non-profit corporation that gives our community the tools to form a stronger connection through media. Located in the former Fresno Metropolitan Museum building, it brings programming to CMAC TV channels on Comcast, AT&T U-verse, and the Internet.
A lot of work has gone into organizing the Armenian Studies Program website to ensure that it provides the best tools and resources to visitors of the page. The purpose of this website is to educate, raise awareness, answer questions, and to satisfy curiosity. After exploring the ASP webpage, I encourage you to click on the “Links” button and connect to several other intriguing websites, including Haybook, an Armenian digital library, Virtual Ani, an online tour through the historic ancient capital of Armenia, and many others. These new features are for the visitors to utilize, discover, and share.
Visit the new and improved Armenian Studies Program website and see for yourself the great features it has to offer.