Andrew Esguerra Staff Writer Armenian communities throughout the state of California and the western United States welcomed a special visitor in October of this year. His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, made a Pontifical visit to the Armenian community, his first to the United States in nearly 5 years. During his stay in the Central ...

Marine Vardanyan Staff Writer Traveling abroad as a student is an amazing experience; traveling to your homeland, an unbelievable experience. Last summer, fourteen students had the opportunity to do both when they visited the ancient land of Armenia on a two week Armenia Summer Study Trip with Professor Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Director of the Armenian Studies Program. Professor Der Mugrdechian ...

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 ...

Editor Tamar Karkazian Layout Barlow Der Mugrdechian Photographers Barlow Der Mugrdechian Erica Magarian Copy Editor Randy Baloian Staff Writers Denise Altounian Armen Arikian Evelyn Demirchian Andrew Esguerra Mari Koshkakaryan Suren Oganessian Ruzan Orkusyan Emma Shaljyan Marine Vardanyan Advisor Barlow Der Mugrdechian barlowd@csufresno.edu    

Before Taking an Armenian Studies Course – What did you know about Armenia or the Armenians Marine Vardanyan Staff Writer Henry Minh Freshman Armenian Studies 20- Arts of Armenia Before taking an Armenian Studies course, all I knew was that Armenia is a Christian country, near Turkey. Now I have learned about Armenia’s ancient history and I know that they ...

Armen Arikian • Staff Writer Armenia Info www.armenianinfo.am Main Categories: About Armenia, Why Armenia, Travel & Transportation, Lodging & Dining, Entertainment & Culture, Activities, Sites of Interest. Summary: Terms such as “scenic beauty” and “rich history” often come to mind when referring to Armenia, but “vacation getaway” and “tourist destination” may not be as common. This is partly due to ...

Emma Shaljian Staff Writer New ASO executive officers, were elected at the first ASO meeting on September 9. The officers are enthusiastic and have many ideas for the new year. Below is an interview conducted with the executive officers. Vartush Mesropyan President-Junior Pre-nursing- Minor in Armenian Studies When you think about ASO, what is the first thing that comes to ...

Andrew Esguerra Staff Writer As the Charlie Keyan Armenian Community School continues to thrive and expand, active Armenian community member and former educator in the Fresno Unified School District, Zaroohi Der Mugrdechian, took the reins as principal from former principal Sophie Mekhitarian this summer. As an Armenian Community School graduate, I talked with Principal Der Mugrdechian about the school and ...

Suren Oganessian Staff Writer The symbol of my grandfather’s homeland is a mountain. What it means to be Armenian lies within this mountain. They dangle it in our faces, at the edge of our border, a silent mockery. It’s in your face but you can’t grab it, this mountain. Its name is Ararat, with its two curving slopes, no longer ...

Evelyn Demirchian Staff Writer September 14 marked the beginning of the Armenian Studies Program Lecture series for Fall 2011. Ara Oshagan presented excerpts from Father Land, a compilation of his photography, as well as commentary from Oshagan and his father—acclaimed writer and literary critic Vahe Oshagan. The book recounts the father and son’s visit to Nagorno-Karabakh. Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian, ...