Denise Altounian Staff Writer “Every Armenian should visit their motherland”—as young Armenians we often hear that phrase preached to us, encouraging us to visit Armenia and see the sights. This past summer, Professor Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Coordinator of the Armenian Studies Program, and 14 students made the journey to Armenia for the 2011 Summer Study Trip and did just that. ...

Ruzan Orkusyan Staff Writer On Sunday afternoon, September 18, 2011, a full house at the Fresno State Concert Hall was transported into the vibrant world of do, re, mis. The talented pianist Vardan Mamikonian dazzled an attentive audience of more than 400 with passages from Liszt, Bach, and Chopin, allowing the audience to escape into a fantasy, forgetting for a ...

Editor Tamar Karkazian Layout Barlow Der Mugrdechian Photographers Barlow Der Mugrdechian Erica Magarian Staff Writers Armen Arikian Evelyn Demirchian Andrew Esguerra Armen Melidonian Ruzan Orkusyan Advisor Barlow Der Mugrdechian barlowd@csufresno.edu

Staff Report Tamar Der Kevorkian Major: Business Administration Minor: Armenian Studies What on-campus Armenian activities were you involved in? I’ve been involved in ASO since I came to Fresno State in Fall 2006. I’ve gone to ASO meetings, fundraisers, guest lectures and commemorative Genocide events. How did your involvement with the Armenian Studies Program affect your college experience?  I was ...

Tamar Karkazian Editor How do you feel the Genocide affects Armenians? Armen Melidonian It is as if every Armenian is born into this position of feeling responsible to remember the Armenian Genocide and to ask one’s self: “I am here and I exist; now what?” It’s one thing to merely say “I must survive” and it’s another thing to say ...

Armen Arikian – Staff Writer Virtual Museum Of Komitas http://www/komitas.am Main Categories: Biography, Work, Komitas-musicologist, Students, Poetry, Letters, Komitas and Genocide, Komitas’ illness, Gallery, Writers about Komitas, Researchers of Komitas, Arrangements of works, Komitas in the modern Armenia, Bibliography, Discography, Komitas Quartet, Links, About the project, Feedback. Summary: Soghomon Soghomonian, later known as the nineteenth century composer Komitas, remains a ...

Ruzan Orkusyan Staff Writer Love, loyalty, promises, cheating, scandals and most importantly copious humor coupled with great acting and vivacious music provided for an enjoyable and unforgettable experience at the comedic play “Don Juan Avia.” As part of its American and Canadian tour, organized by Levon Travel of Glendale, the play made its Fresno debut on March 27, 2011 to ...

Evelyn Demirchian Staff Writer Award winning author, journalist, and Fresno State alumnus Mark Arax returned this academic year to fill a position named after his former mentor, the Roger Tatarian Chair in the Department of Mass Communications and Journalism. Arax, who also graduated from Columbia University, forged a name for himself as a top investigative reporter for the Los Angeles ...

Tamar Karkazian Editor The month of April is a solemn time for Armenians around the world, as they come together to commemorate the Armenian Genocide. This year ASO decided that the goal would be to not only remember the Armenian Genocide, but to also honor the 1.5 million Armenians who died. Fifteen students served as members of the Genocide Commemoration ...

Andrew Esguerra Staff Writer On Wednesday, April 7th, Dr. Sergio La Porta, Haig and Isabel Berberian Professor of Armenian Studies at Fresno State, explored connections between the works of famed nineteenth century Armenian poets Bedros Tourian, Daniel Varujan, and Eghishe Charents to the medieval Italian poet Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), the author of the Divine Comedy. The three parts of the ...