Staff Report Former Fresno State Armenian Studies professor Dr. Arra Avakian passed away in Fresno on Wednesday, June 30. He was born in 1912 in Boston, to parents Setrak and Takoohi Avakian, who had emigrated from Kharpert, Armenia. Dr. Avakian graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and upon completing graduate study in 1935 was awarded the degree of Doctor ...

Armen Melidonian Staff Writer On Friday, October 1, the Armenian Studies Program held a screening of Dr. J. Michael Hagopian’s The River Ran Red, a film devoted to the oral histories of Armenian Genocide survivors, many of whom are today no longer alive. After 95 years, without the documentation that Dr. Hagopian has conducted, many of the survivor accounts would ...

Andrew Esguerra Staff Writer We often hear that Fresno is just like the land of Armenia. The climate is warm, the soil rich and fertile, and the Armenian community strong and active. Combine this sense of “being home” with the pride Armenians feel on September 21, a revered date to Armenians because it was on this day in 1991 that ...

Ruzan Orkusyan Staff Writer An extraordinarily intelligent and compassionate woman, Dr. Rita Kuyumjian, distinguished for her volunteer work within the Armenian community, most notably after the 1988 earthquake, presented a fascinating lecture on “Trilogy-April 24, 1915: Before and After-The Lives of the Survivors” on September 20th in the University Business Center. The Armenian Studies Program and Tekeyan Cultural Association of ...

Armen Arikian Staff Writer The newly-elected executive officers of the Armenian Students Organization were interviewed about their plans and goals for the new semester. Tamar Karkazian President Sophomore Business Administration-Option Sports Marketing What inspired you to take part as a leader in ASO? The reason I decided to run for President this year is because of my involvement in many ...

Tamar Karkazian Editor If you set foot on the Fresno State campus and look around you will soon realize that the campus is celebrating a century of excellence, as this year marks the University’s hundredth anniversary (1911-2011). Various activities have been taking place throughout campus to celebrate: a centennial parade, a birthday celebration, and a reception honoring leadership. The month ...

Evelyn Demirchian Staff Writer On August 13, 2010, an official delegation from the city of Etchmiadzin, Armenia, led by Mayor Karen Grigoryan, Deputy Mayor Vazrik Grigoryan, and Councilmember Dr. Samvel Franklyan, arrived in Fresno for a weeklong visit to their new Sister City. Etchmiadzin is the historic spiritual center of the Armenian Church and the fourth-largest city in Armenia, and ...

Editor Pateel Mekhitarian Layout Barlow Der Mugrdechian Photographers Barlow Der Mugrdechian Erica Magarian Staff Writers Evelyn Demirchian Tamar Karkazian Mari Koshkakaryan Armen Melidonian Advisor Barlow Der Mugrdechian barlowd@csufresno.edu

Staff Report 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. Gaylee M. Amend, Fresno, for the gift of eighteen books by William Saroyan, many of them first editions, and for ...

Armen Melidonian Staff Writer A resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide recently narrowly passed the United States Foreign Affairs Committee, just as in 2005 and 2007, but its fate in reaching a floor vote in Congress is uncertain. An American President, in an effort to please Turkish officials, has once again avoided using the word “Genocide” to describe the events that ...