Suzanna Ekmekchyan  Staff Writer The Armenian Student Organization (ASO) started its year off with elections for a new executive at the first general meeting of the year which took place on Tuesday, September 4. Elected were Claire Kasaian, President; David Safrazian, Vice-President; Kara Statler, Treasurer; Suzanna Ekmekchyan, Secretary; and Violeta Aghabekyan, Public Relations. New and continuing members of ASO came ...

Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Prof. Sergio La Porta, and the Armenian Studies Program would like to thank the donors, authors, and publishers for the following books, periodicals, videos, and archival gifts, either offered personally, or to the Program.  Hambersom Aghbashian, Glendale, California, for a copy of his new book Turkish Intellectuals Who have Recognized the Reality of the Armenian Genocide ...

Annie Rubio Editor Throughout the deportations and mass atrocities committed during the Armenian Genocide, one member of the Turkish government appeared as a source of hope and benevolence. Cemal Pasha, governor of Adana and Greater Syria, was said to have lenient policies regarding Armenians, going insofar as to face off with the other member of the Committee of Union and ...

Annie Rubio Editor William Saroyan is a name many consider synonymous with Fresno, California. He was a beloved writer, whose voice united Armenians across the globe and whose works have brought recognition and pride to the Armenian community.  On Friday, August 31, on what would have been Saroyan’s 110th birthday, a celebration was held to mark the opening of the ...

Claire Kasaian Staff Writer Dr. Ümit Kurt was appointed as the 15th Kazan Visiting Professor in Armenian Studies for the Fall 2018 semester at Fresno State. Dr. Kurt was previously at Fresno State in the 2015-2016 academic year as a Kazan Research Associate. As part of his duties this Fall, Dr. Kurt is teaching an Armenian Studies class, “The Armenian ...

Staff Report On Tuesday, September 4, 2018, the Armenian Students Organization (ASO) gathered for their first general meeting of the 2018-2019 school year and held elections for new executive officers. The results were as follows: President, Claire Kasaian; Vice-President, David Safrazian; Treasurer, Kara Statler; Public Relations, Violeta Agabekyan; and Secretary, Suzanna Ekmekchyan.   Claire Kasaian  President   Why did you ...

Staff Report More than sixty alumni participants of Armenian Studies Program Summer Study Trips gathered on Friday, April 27, at the Smittcamp Alumni House at Fresno State to celebrate thirty years of summer trips to Armenia.  The first Armenian Studies organized trip to Armenia took place in 1988, when Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian led a group of eight students to ...

Staff Report The Fresno Institute for Classical Armenian Translation (FICAT) hosted nine students from around the world last summer for a two-week intensive reading seminar. This unique program was led by Dr. Sergio La Porta, Haig and Isabel Berberian Professor of Armenian Studies, at Fresno State, and Dr. Michael Pifer, a lecturer at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Participating ...

Annie Rubio Editor   “Sovereignty cannot be conceived as the right to kill millions of people.” These words were spoken by Rafael Lemkin, an American lawyer of Polish-Jewish heritage who coined the term “genocide.” It is difficult to fathom the number of atrocities committed throughout history, but even more difficult to fathom what Winston Churchill once called, “a crime without ...

Michael Rettig Editor Every year on April 24, the world watches from a distance as Armenians around the world march in the streets or gather at memorials to honor those who were killed. Every year, that distance seems to diminish, as high profile celebrities help to educate the world about the details surrounding the Genocide. Commemorative events are not only ...