ASO Raises Money to Support Armenians in Artsakh and Armenia

Dustin Vartanian
Staff Writer

The roots of the tree stretch far down beneath the earth. An abundance of vividly red pomegranates lay within the branches. The immense peaks of Ararat are visible in the backdrop. This is an image of Armenian strength and homeland.

These images are displayed on the T-shirts the Armenian Students Organization created and sold to support Armenians in Artsakh during these unsettled times. With a black base with red, blue, and orange lettering, these T-shirts resemble Armenian pride. ASO Treasurer Tatiana Samouie further explained the design and symbolism of the T-shirt. “Pomegranates symbolize life and the trees symbolize growth; thus, the pomegranate tree represents the eternal life of the Armenian people. For centuries the Armenian people have fought for our land, faith, and pure existence, but we have always found strength in our unity and roots,” said Samouie.

All proceeds from the T-shirt purchases were donated to Artsakh through the Armenian Assembly $2M Matching Humanitarian Program, and ultimately to the Armenia Fund. All 250 T-shirts ordered by ASO were sold within a few days. “The speed that we sold out our T-shirts brought me such pride in our community. I was also proud how they came together to support Armenia and Artsakh during their time of need. It demonstrated our unity and power—all for a good cause to help our country,” said ASO Public Relations Officer Suzanna Ekmekchyan.

In total the Armenian Students Organization at Fresno State raised $4,000. The Armenian Students Organization at Fresno State expresses its gratitude to the Fresno community for its support of this cause.

During the Fall semester the ASO finally had their first in-person social of the year. On a sunny Halloween afternoon, October 31, a group of pumpkins and two watermelons sat in a nearby park awaiting their time to finally be carved or decorated by ASO members. It did not take long for the pumpkin carvers to get to work. Everyone was determined to start carving their pumpkins and it turned out to be quite a messy afternoon. Everyone got their hands dirty with carving utensils, paintbrushes, and other accessories. Large amounts of pumpkin-insides were thrown onto the table as many raced to complete their masterpieces. It turns out that the pleasant day in the park turned into a competition to see who would carve the best looking pumpkin.

While this was happening, some ASO members scrambled around the tables to salvage every pumpkin seed so they could be baked and enjoyed as a snack later on. After all the hard work, the pumpkin carvers and decorators placed their works of art on display. Some of the pumpkins turned out to be scary looking while others appeared to be funny. The watermelons had their own costumes and some pumpkins showed great Armenian pride. In the end, there was no one to act as an official judge for this “competition,” so unfortunately no single pumpkin was chosen for the grand prize. Despite this, everyone had a blast.

Those who gathered that day were overjoyed because for many it was the first time being with their fellow ASO friends since this past March. It was pleasant to finally talk, eat, and laugh with friends in person; this always is superior to seeing friends through a computer screen.